White Bean Stuffed Eggplant

I have always enjoyed a good grilled eggplant or back in my gluten eating days, some eggplant parmesan. But it’s only been the last couple of years that I’ve started experimenting with cooking eggplant at home. This is a recipe I tried randomly two years ago when I was introduced to a Sicilian eggplant at our local farmers market. It’s a combination I’ve been a fan of ever since.

As many of my friends and family know, my husband does not care for eggplant. That’s why I usually make it when he is travelling for work. Although, it seems like our crew is a split group when it comes to eggplant eaters versus haters. So if you’re planning dinner for a group and some will pass at the idea of eggplant, zucchini is a great substitute in this recipe. While half an eggplant makes a nice serving, I would recommend a whole zucchini per person if you do go that route.

Eggplant is usually something I think of from the farm market. This week when exploring options at Fresh Time, they had some good looking ones and it seemed like the perfect time to make this one again. Also it gave me the opportunity to take photos so I could share with all of you!

The best thing about this recipe is its simplicity. You can really taste all of the ingredients and they offer a nice mix of color. The garlic and oregano also give a nice earthy flavor, but you can always spice it up or adjust whatever herbs and spices you prefer.

I hope you’ll give this one a try. And if you’re interested in other eggplant recipes let me know. I’m sure there will be more to come!

Ingredients:
– Eggplant (1 eggplant)
– White Beans (1 can)
– Tomatoes (4 campari sliced)
– Spinach (i cup, packed)
– Garlic (2 cloves minced)
– Oregano (2 TBSP)
– Basil (1 tsp)
– Onion Powder (1 tsp)
– Salt to taste

Kitchen Items You’ll Need:
– Baking Sheet
– Parchment Paper
– Can Opener
– Cutting Board
– Knife

Cooking Instructions:               
1. Wash eggplant and cut in half. Slice diagonal lines in flesh of eggplant and brush with oil oil. Place skin side up on baking sheet with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until knife pierces eggplant easily.
2. Drain beans. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add beans and garlic, herbs and spices. Cover and cook until beans start to become tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Rinse and cut tomatoes.
4. Add tomatoes and spinach to pan and continue to cook, covered, for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Pull eggplant from oven. Top with bean mixture. Serve hot.
6. Optional: Add fresh parsley or basil for serving