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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Eggplant filled with Tuna

I love eggplant! I really do! Even my mother finds it hard to believe, since I was a very fussy eater when it came to most vegies.  Eggplant is one of the most featured vegetables on this blog, and rightfully so.  I have prepared it Asian style and Indian style and even tried to replicate my Bangladeshi mother-in-law's recipe.  I took a punt on this recipe as I wasn't too sure how tuna would taste with eggplant.  The result was a well received dish that goes well as a starter or even as a main with some crusty bread to mop up the juices.    The tuna is also interchangeable with minced meat if you wanted a less fishy dish.
Ingredients, to serve 4
2 x Medium sized Eggplants
Olive oil
1 x Small Onion, finely diced
2 x Cloves Garlic, crushed
1tsp x Dried Oregano
250ml x Pasta Sauce
300g x Canned Tuna, drained
Salt, to taste
1 cup x Breadcrumbs (optional)
2tbsp x Sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Grated Cheese (optional)  
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Cut both eggplants length ways into four halves
Using a sharp knife cut a 1cm width around the flesh, do not pierce the skin
Scoop the scored eggplant flesh out with a spoon and chop into rough pieces
Place the four halves in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil
Turn oven down to 180 degrees and place dish in oven
Allow to bake for 25 minutes or until the eggplant starts to soften and collapse slightly
If the surface starts to brown too much, cover with aluminium foil 
For the filling
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan
Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft then add the garlic and oregano
Now add the reserved eggplant flesh and stir fry for 5 minutes 
Pour in the pasta sauce and stir through
Break up the tuna with a fork and add to the mixture stirring well to combine
Cook for further 3-4 minutes or until the liquid has dried slightly
Remove from heat and allow to cool before dividing the mixture into four
Spoon the mixture into the eggplant halves and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes
As an optional topping, sprinkle breadcrumbs mixed with toasted sesame seeds on the eggplant before returning to the oven, or sprinkle grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes.  

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