Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

Broiled Italian eggplant halves stuffed with chicken, bell pepper, onion, garlic , tomatoes, barley, spinach and basil. Sprinkled with Romano cheese.
Ingredients -
4 small Italian Eggplants
8 ounces Ground Chicken
2 medium Bell Peppers, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced Garlic
1 (14 1/2 ounces) can Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Regular Pearl Barley
2 cups Baby Spinach
3 tablespoons chopped Basil
2 tablespoons grated Romano Cheese
 
Preparation:

1. Line rimmed baking dish with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh. Leave a ½” thick shell.

3. Coat eggplants with nonstick spray, invert on baking sheet.

4. Finely chop the eggplant flesh that was scooped out.

5. Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add ground chicken, bell pepper, onion, chopped eggplant and garlic to skillet. Cook 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add diced tomatoes, water and pearl barley.

6. Preheat broiler. Broil eggplant shells 12 minutes or until lightly charred and soft. Turn once, halfway through the broiling process. Remove from oven and place on wire rack.

7. Stir spinach and basil into chicken mixture. Spoon into eggplant halves.

8. Sprinkle eggplant halves with Romano cheese.

 


Cooking Tip
Ground Turkey
Ground chicken comes in different grades. Use a high quality, low fat chicken. Substitute ground turkey for the ground chicken. The turkey is very low in fat, and may reduce calories in the recipe.

Cooking Tip
Romano Cheese
Romano cheese is great on these stuff eggplants. Feel free to experiment with your favorite grated cheese and create exciting new tastes.