Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant

Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant

Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables and every time I go to the grocery store if they are looking good, I buy them. This also means that during the summer months I'm buying eggplants pretty much every week. 
This vegetarian recipe for stuffed eggplant is one of my favorites and what makes it extra special is that it can become a vegan recipe, if you take out the cheeses.

Additionally, it can be prepared ahead of time and re-heated before eating. You can serve this dish as a side or main, for lunch or dinner and I wouldn't blame you if you decide to prepare it for brunch :) 

Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant

I served my delicious stuffed eggplants with a simple but tasty Spaghetti al sugo di pomodoro. Stay tuned, I have a delicious Homemade Semolina Pasta and tomato sauce post lined up for the near future.

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 portions

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized eggplants
• 400g white button mushroom
• 1/2 red bell pepper - in small dices (brunoise)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 green onion stalks - sliced
• 1 glove of garlic - chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven at 390 F (200 C). Remove the eggplants' green stems, cut them in half and place them on a bowl filled with water and a generous amount of salt. Leave them soaking for about 5 minutes, then rinse and pat them dry. Roast the eggplants - cut side up - for 25 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

While the eggplants are in the oven, cut the mushrooms in small dices and heat up the olive oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms to the skillet (you'll noticed they will absorb the oil) and cook them until they start to release moisture.Then add the green onions, garlic, red pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another two minutes. Set this mixture aside to cool. 

Take the eggplants out of the oven and remove their inside flesh, forming shells with roughly 1cm thick walls. You'll probably need a knife to do this.

Chop the removed eggplant insides and add them to the mushroom mixture, followed by the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme and Gouda cheese. 

Refill your eggplant shells with the mushroom-eggplant mixture, top with Parmesan cheese and re-introduce them in the oven for another 15 minutes, until the Parmesan is golden brown.