Mediterranean Turkey Stuffed Eggplant Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, cook ground meat in lard until well browned, scraping bottom with a wooden spoon periodically to avoid burning.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onions in butter, with a little salt, until translucent (about five minutes). Add chopped mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms have softened.
• Add onion and mushroom mixture to meat in skillet, and stir to combine. Add chopped eggplant to skillet, stir to combine. Add seasonings, raisins and almonds. When eggplant softens, add water to skillet, and deglaze bottom of the pan.
• Add olive oil to the empty saucepan. Lightly salt eggplant cavities, and place eggplant in the saucepan, cut side down. Cook eggplant this way for about 3-5 minutes. Flip eggplant, exposing cavities. Cook eggplant in a 400 degree oven for another 5 minutes. Remove eggplant from the oven.
• Add cheeses to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Check for seasonings, and add salt if necessary. Divide meat mixture evenly, and stuff into the 4 eggplant halves.
• Bake until delicious, golden brown, and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.
• Serve.

Steps:

• Halve the egplant lengthwise. Hollow out the halves leaving 1/2 inch thick shells. Chop the eggplant pulp.
• In a medium skillet, cook mushrooms, onion, and eggplant pulp in hot oil for 5 minutes. Add tomato and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, and stir in cooked rice, salt, and pepper.
• Lightly grease a square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place eggplant halves, cut side up, in dish. Spoon half of filling into each eggplant half.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 350º oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until heated through and eggplant shells are tender.