Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant

While shopping this weekend, I came upon these mini Italian eggplants for sale. I instantly thought how perfect they would be for a single serving. Even better, what if stuffed it full of delicious things? How adorable and delicious would that be? So that was that!

Now picking the right eggplant is tough. Many people don't like eggplant because once it develops seeds, it becomes bitter. Size doesn't correlate to age, however, so picking smaller eggplants may not necessarily give you younger eggplants. When you pick the Italian kind of eggplant, you want a nice and shiny skin, as blemish free as possible. It should be firm and just a bit soft, but not soft enough to leave imprints or bruises. For Chinese eggplant, (the long and thin variety), a glossy skin, few blemishes, and thin shape work best. The larger it is, the more likely you'll have seeds. Hopefully that helps you!

On to the recipe!

Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 6

3 eggplants about the size of your hand, or a bit smaller
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, small diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, small diced
1 pack baby bella mushrooms, diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 teaspoon salt
shredded mozzarella cheese to top (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and prep the eggplant. Cut off the stem portion, trying to leave as much flesh as possible. Then slice the eggplant lengthwise in half. Using a paring knife and a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, leaving 1/3rd of an inch around the edges to help the eggplant keep its shape.
3. Coat the bottom of a large glass baking dish with olive oil. Place the hollowed eggplant in the dish, cut side up. Brush the insides of the eggplant with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool after 30 minutes so they're safe to handle, but keep the oven running.
4. In the meantime, diced the scooped out eggplant, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and mince the garlic.
5. In a large pot, heat a teaspoon of olive oil and coat the posts bottom and sides. 
6. Cook and crumble the ground pork. If you render a lot of fat, pour it out.
7. When the pork is cooked, turn the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook until fragrant and the water from the onions deglazes the bottom of the pan. 
8. Return the heat to medium high and add the diced eggplant, tomatoes and mushroom. Also add all the spices. Cook uncovered so that all the water has a chance to evaporate. The majority of the vegetables will shrink in size, so don't flip out if you have too much.
9. When the stuffing is mushy, but mostly dry, stuff the eggplants. You will probably need about four tablespoons of stuffing per eggplant. (Excess stuffing can be served over rice or used to stuff other yummy things.)
10. Top with cheese. (Crushed nuts would also be a yummy topping!) Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes to set the dish.
11. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!