Stuffed Spiced Eggplants with Tomatoes and Pine Nuts 
Serves 4 • Cooking Time 5 to 6 hours on Low • Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: When cooked, eggplants turn rich and creamy, losing the bitterness they have when raw. Italian eggplants, which are slightly smaller than the ubiquitous globe eggplants, are the ideal size and shape for stuffing when halved, and two of them fit easily in a slow cooker. Inspired by the flavors of Turkey, where stuffed eggplant is a way of life, we created a simple stuffing with canned diced tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, pine nuts, and aromatics including onion, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon. We simply nestled the halved eggplants cut side down in this fragrant mixture and let them cook until tender. After removing the eggplants from the slow cooker, we gently pushed the soft flesh to the sides to create a cavity, which we filled with the aromatic tomato mixture left behind in the slow cooker. Topped with extra cheese, pine nuts, and fresh chopped parsley, these eggplants look beautiful and are far easier to make than most traditional versions. Be sure to buy eggplants that are no more than 10 ounces; larger eggplants will not fit properly in your slow cooker. You may need to trim off the eggplant stems to help them fit. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
1 |
onion, chopped fine |
1 |
tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
3 |
garlic cloves, minced |
2 |
teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried |
¼ |
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
⅛ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
1 |
(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
2 |
ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 cup) |
¼ |
cup pine nuts, toasted |
1 |
tablespoon red wine vinegar |
Salt and pepper |
|
2 |
(10-ounce) Italian eggplants, halved lengthwise |
2 |
tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1. Microwave onion, 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes, ¾ cup Pecorino, pine nuts, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Season eggplant halves with salt and pepper and nestle cut side down into slow cooker (eggplants may overlap slightly). Cover and cook until eggplants are tender, 5 to 6 hours on low.
2. Transfer eggplant halves cut side up to serving platter. Using 2 forks, gently push eggplant flesh to sides of each half to make room for filling. Stir remaining 2 teaspoons oil into tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mound tomato mixture evenly into eggplants and sprinkle with parsley and remaining ¼ cup Pecorino. Serve.
Per serving:
Cal 210
Fat 13g
Sat Fat 3.5g
Chol 10mg
Carb 10mg
Protein 17g
Fiber 7g
Sodium 6g
*To reduce sodium level to 180mg, use no-salt-added tomatoes.