Roasted, Stuffed Eggplant

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Rub the cut sides of the eggplant with oil. Place the eggplant on a nonstick baking sheet cut-sides up. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (the eggplant should not be cooked entirely through). Remove the eggplant from the oven and flip it over with a spatula; let it cool on the baking sheet. Leave the oven on.
3. Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrot, and peppers. Sauté until soft and slightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and the mushrooms. Increase the heat to high and continue to sauté until the mushrooms soften and release their juices, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley and thyme; season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Scoop out the flesh of the cooled eggplant with a spoon, leaving about a 1/4-inch of eggplant flesh in the skin. Coarsely chop the scooped out eggplant and add it to the mushroom mixture; mix well.
5. Fill each eggplant shell with about 1 1/2 cups of filling. Place the stuffed eggplant shells in a nonstick 9 X 13-inch pan. Spoon 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce over each stuffed eggplant shell. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool. Yields one stuffed eggplant half per serving.
6. Try some of our other fabulous freezable recipes such as Chile-Spiced Red Snapper and Couscous Stew, Mexican Meatloaf, Mustard-Dill Chicken in Foil Packs, and Turkey and Mango Picadillo.