Baked Eggplant With Savory Cheese Stuffing

From Cooking Light

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  lbs eggplants, see note
•  cooking spray
• 1  ounce  white bread, slice
• 1  teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups  finely chopped onions
• 1 1⁄4 cups  finely chopped red bell peppers
• 1  cup  finely chopped seeded plum tomato
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh oregano or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  ounces  crumbled feta cheese
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. It should be two one pound eggplants approximately
2. Cut in half lengthwise.
3. Preheat oven to 400°.
4. Cut eggplant in half. Make 4 crosswise cuts to eggplant sides to score them. Then place halves, cut sides down on foil lined baking sheet sprayed. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove pulp and leave a shell about 1/3 inch thick. Save them. Chop the pulp.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
6. Put the slice of bread in processor and pluse until you have coarse crumbs. Measure about 1/2 cup then drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil and pulse to combine.
7. Spray large skillet with pam and heat over med high. Add onion and saute 3 minutes. IF you are having problems dry saute add a bit of water or broth.
8. Add the eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, oregano and garlic. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 more minutes or until liquid is gone. Stir occasionally.
9. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, parsley, salt and pepper then stuff the shells with 1/2 cup of the onion/eggplant mix then sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix.
10. Place on cooking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and light brown.