Fall starts in just a couple of days, and I am so ready. In fact, September is my favorite time of year when it comes to food! On the one hand, September is when all the best summer produce is available. I may not be a big fan of summer but I’m all about the corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and (of course) eggplant! And on the other hand, temperatures start to cool off and I go into comfort food mode and get all inspired to start cooking up some of that delicious late summer produce. I had a sadly unsuccessful summer veggie garden this year, but I did manage to harvest just enough baby eggplants for this dish. This is a perfect early fall recipe that’s packed with fresh flavors but is also nice and hearty for those chillier days. To make this, your eggplants get halved, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and roasted in the oven. While the eggplants roast, make the filling. Sauté some onion in your olive oil for a few minutes, then add garlic and cumin. Tip: sautéing the cumin for a minute or two in olive oil brings out its flavor. Finally, in with the rice and vegetable broth, cover, and cook until the rice is fluffy! Once the rice is finished, stir in some Kalamata olives and artichoke hearts. A super simple spicy tomato sauce is perfect to offset the briny, pungent flavors of the olives and artichoke hearts. The eggplant halves should be lightly browned and tender after about 20 minutes. Scoop out just a bit of the flesh from each, then stuff with the rice mixture. Serve with spicy sauce and devour!
Tips for Making Amazing Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
You probably won’t need to salt your eggplants if they’re small and fresh. But if they’re larger or have been hanging around for a while, just sprinkle the cut sides liberally with salt after cutting them open. Let them sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and pat dry. This will draw out any bitterness.To find out where you can get your hands on the ShopRite Trading Company products used in this recipe, use .Want to use brown rice for this recipe? Totally fine! Just make sure to adjust the amount of broth and the cook time based on the package instructions.If you prepare this ahead of time (or think you’ll have leftovers), I recommend you store the sauce, rice, and eggplant separately.
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
