Stuffed Eggplant Royale with Buttery Saffron Rice
“My grandmother once told me that if I ever wanted to make a man fall in love with me, I should make him this dish,” says Nancy Toenniges. “Of course, she was talking about a version with lamb; since I don’t eat meat, I reworked it–but it’s still a meal…
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“My grandmother once told me that if I ever wanted to make a man fall in love with me, I should make him this dish,” says Nancy Toenniges. “Of course, she was talking about a version with lamb; since I don’t eat meat, I reworked it–but it’s still a meal men can’t resist.”
Ingredients
Stuffed eggplant
- 3 large eggplants, cut into 3-inch-thick rounds
- 4 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling eggplant, divided
- 2 medium onions, cut into thin slices
- 1 12-oz. pkg. meatless ground
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
- 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
Rice
- 1/4-1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 3/4 cup broken angel hair pasta
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1/2 tsp. saffron
- 1 tsp. salt
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Salt eggplant rounds on both sides, and place on large platter. Let sweat 20 minutes. Rinse off salt, and transfer to 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with oil, flip rounds over, and drizzle with oil again. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and cook 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Increase heat to medium-high, and add pine nuts. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until pine nuts are browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer onion mixture to plate.
3. Add remaining 2 Tbs. oil and Quorn ground to pan. Sauté over medium heat 7 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Stir in allspice, cayenne, and onion mixture; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
4. Use teaspoon to push shallow well into center of each eggplant round. Spoon 1 1/2 Tbs. tomato paste into each round. Divide Quorn mixture among eggplant rounds. Top each round with 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes; some should spill over into baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water to pan, cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, reduce oven temperature to 300ºF, and bake 10 minutes more. Cover loosely with foil, and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
5. To make Rice: Heat butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add angel hair pasta, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned. Stir in long-grain rice until coated with butter. Add saffron, salt, and 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 to 18 minutes, or until Rice is tender. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.
6. Serve eggplant rounds on bed of Rice.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 502
- Carbohydrate Content 37 g
- Cholesterol Content 31 mg
- Fat Content 37 g
- Fiber Content 15 g
- Protein Content 16 g
- Saturated Fat Content 11 g
- Sodium Content 511 mg
- Sugar Content 12 g