Auntie Em's Delivery - Recipes

Auntie Em's Delivery - Recipes: "Stuffed Baby Heirloom Eggplant

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 eggplant halves)
Ingredients

* 2 cups chopped tomato
* 1/4 cup dry white wine
* 1/2-teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
* 6 baby eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds) cut in half lengthwise
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
* 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
* 1 cup cooked white basmati rice
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
* Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine tomato, dry white wine, sugar, and 1/4-teaspoon salt in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; spread evenly.
Scoop pulp from eggplant halves, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Chop pulp. Sprinkle inside surfaces of eggplant shells with 1/4-teaspoon salt.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet oven medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in eggplant pulp, basil, and jalapeño; cover, reduce heat, and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Remove from heat; stir in rice, cheese, and parsley.
Spoon about 1/4 cup eggplant mixture into each eggplant shell, pressing gently; place shells, cut sides up, over tomato mixture in baking dish. Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 15 minutes or until shells are tender. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato mixture over each eggplant half. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired."