Embark on a culinary journey to the Mediterranean with this delectable eggplant dish, a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. Stuffed with a savory filling of ground lamb, aromatic herbs, and tangy feta cheese, these tender eggplants are roasted to perfection, creating a symphony of flavors in every bite. Accompanying this main course are two tantalizing recipes: a refreshing tzatziki sauce, a cucumber-yogurt dip that adds a cooling touch to the rich lamb filling, and a flavorful Greek salad, a vibrant medley of crisp vegetables, tangy feta, and a zesty dressing, completing this authentic Mediterranean feast.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
SPICED LAMB-STUFFED EGGPLANTS
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stems. Using a sharp paring knife, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a shell that is 1/3 inch thick and reserving the scooped-out eggplant. Place the eggplant shells snugly in a single layer in a large (10-by-14-inch) rectangular baking dish. Brush the eggplant all over with 1/4 cup olive oil (use it all!) and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/4 cup water in the baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the shells are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, for the lamb filling, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Cut the reserved scooped-out eggplant into 1/2-inch dice (you should have about 2 cups). Add the eggplant to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding more oil if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground lamb and cook, mashing lightly with a fork, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the oregano and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, marinara, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves in the baking dish. (You may have a little extra filling.)
- In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta, goat cheese, egg yolks, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with a fork. With a spoon, place large dollops of the ricotta mixture on the lamb filling and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with extra mint.
STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH LAMB
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Peel the eggplants lengthwise in 1/2-inch strips "zebra-style," leaving a 1/2-inch strip of skin between each peel. Trim off long stems so eggplant will fit in pan. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan. In batches, fry eggplant until golden all over and beginning to soften, turning frequently. Transfer eggplant to a baking dish, placing them side by side, and cut a deep slit lengthwise in each eggplant. Set aside.
- Heat the butter in the skillet, add the onions and saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the lamb and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bell peppers and salt, and saute until all the juices are absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the parsley, and lemon juice, adjust seasonings and remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stuff the eggplants tightly with the ground lamb mixture, enlarging the opening with your hand. Add a little water to the baking dish, cover, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until eggplants are very tender.
MAMA'S OH-SO-SAVORY LAMB AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE
The basis of this recipe came from my 4th grade teacher's mother who was Armenian, and I've been making it for over 50 years. It is easy to put together, but the longer the stovetop step simmers, the better the casserole will be when served. Leftovers are yummy! You could serve this over rice, if you like, with a green salad. I just serve it in pasta bowls with crusty bread, butter, and a nice glass of red wine. Enjoy!
Provided by MAMA2EANDJ
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 2h35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
- Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
- Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
- Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 384.6 calories, Carbohydrate 22.6 g, Cholesterol 77.2 mg, Fat 23.2 g, Fiber 8.4 g, Protein 24 g, SaturatedFat 7.5 g, Sodium 1471.2 mg, Sugar 12.2 g
TURKISH STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH SPICY LAMB AND RICE
Steps:
- Lamb and Rice Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and pepper, stir, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and crumble in the ground meat. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and the mixture is starting to dry out and brown a little in the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon out any excess fat from the lamb. Sprinkle in the seasonings, stir, then add the tomatoes and puree, then the stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the brown bits that have accumulated. Add the rice and herbs, and stir and cook a couple of minutes, until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. When the filling is well mixed, moist, and flavorful-but not wet-remove it from the heat and let it cool.
- Eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Combine all the ingredients except the eggplants in a small bowl.
- Cut the stem end from each eggplant, then cut it in half lengthwise. Take a look at the flesh, and if it is creamy white and not too seedy, don't worry about salting it. However, if it is a little darker, with numerous seeds, there's a good chance the juices will be slightly bitter, so you'll want to extract them. To do this, sprinkle the cut sides with about a teaspoon of salt each and place them cut side down on a plate or tray lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Place another plate or tray on top and weight that with a couple of pounds (cans of beans work well). Set aside for 10-15 minutes, then remove the weight and brush the salt off the surface, or rinse with running water and pat dry. Cut a shallow crosshatch pattern in the cut surface of the eggplant and brush generously with the flavored oil. Place the eggplant halves cut sides up on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the eggplants are very soft when you squeeze the sides and the surface is golden brown. Cool completely.
- To Assemble
- With your fingers or a spoon, press the tender eggplant flesh to the sides, making a bed for the filling. Divide the filling among the halves. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping evenly over the filling and pat it lightly. Bake the filled eggplants for about 15 minutes, or until they're heated through and the crumbs are browned.
STUFFED LAMB WITH EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) & FETA
Make and share this Stuffed Lamb With Eggplant (Aubergine) & Feta recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Dancer
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 45m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Prepare a fire in grill.
- Steep currants in hot water for 15 minutes or until plump.
- Butterfly each lamb loin.
- Cover each with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet into rectangle pieces 9 x 5 and 1/2 inch thick.
- Brush each eggplant slice with olive oil.
- Season with salt.
- Grill until golden brown and tender turning once, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer to plate.
- In a bowl combine currants, feta, pine nuts and black pepper to taste.
- Lay open lamb loins on flat surface.
- Place eggplant slices on top and cover with feta mixture.
- Fold each piece of lamb in half and tie crosswise at the intervals with kitchen twine.
- Coat with olive oil.
- Grill over medium fire, turning once and brushing with olive oil until medium rare, about 20 to 25 minutes total.
- Transfer to a warm plate and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Remove twine and cut lamb pieces in half.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 517, Fat 24.3, SaturatedFat 10.6, Cholesterol 149, Sodium 619, Carbohydrate 31.9, Fiber 10.8, Sugar 20.7, Protein 45.8
Tips:
- Choose the right eggplant. Look for small to medium-sized eggplants that are firm and have smooth, shiny skin. Avoid eggplants that are bruised or have blemishes.
- Score the eggplants deeply. This will help them to cook evenly and prevent them from bursting.
- Salt the eggplants liberally. This will help to draw out the bitterness.
- Roast the eggplants upside down. This will help the juices to drain out and prevent the eggplants from becoming soggy.
- Use a flavorful filling. The lamb and feta filling in this recipe is a great option, but you can also use other fillings, such as ground beef, chicken, or vegetables.
- Serve the eggplants hot or cold. They are delicious either way!
Conclusion:
Eggplant stuffed with lamb and feta is a delicious and satisfying dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The eggplants are roasted until tender and then stuffed with a flavorful filling of lamb, feta cheese, and herbs. This dish is sure to impress your guests!
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