Stuffed Eggplant

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STUFFED EGGPLANT

Today I'm doing a recipe that is my husband Don's favourite meal........it really is a Turkish dish called 'Karniyarik'. His Mom use to make it when he was growing up. I learned to make this dish when I went over to visit his family over 20 years ago and have ever since been making it for him. I usually double the recipe.........I serve it with buttered rice and a nice green salad of some sorts on the side and a slice of crusty bread to mop up some of the sauce. It is also good with a dollop of tzatziki on the side.

Sometimes if I have left/over filling I like to take an onion scoop it out and fill it up also.

Stuffed Eggplant

4 Eggplants [small size]

1/2 cup sunflower or canola oil

1 cup broth [chicken] with 1 Tbsp. tomato paste

Eggplant Filing;

1/2 lb. lean ground beef [or turkey]

1 green pepper, chopped [I use the Italian Green pepper, Cubanelle]

1 onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup water or broth [I use chicken broth]

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Take eggplant and peel alternating strips of skin lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes., Wash and squeeze them dry with paper towel.
2. Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute eggplants till nicely browned and soft.
3. Cut a slit in each eggplant and use the back of the spoon to make a well for the filling. Be sure not to slit through the eggplant......to make sure they don't fall apart.

filling;
1. Meanwhile saute all the ingredients on medium heat, stirring constantly till most of the liquid evaporates.
2. Fill the eggplants with the filling.
3. Place a slice of tomato or slice of green pepper on each eggplant......put into a baking dish or pan.
4. Pour 1 cup of water [broth] with 1 Tbsp. of tomato paste into the pan on the sides of the eggpalnts.
5. Cover and bake for 30 to 45 minutes til' done at 350 degrees.

For decoration I like to add some dill or parsley.

Ready to go into the oven.......

Baked.........yummmmm.

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Happy Foodie Friday!!!!!!