Stuffed Peppers With Lamb And Eggplant Recipes

LAMB AND RICE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the tops from the peppers and scoop out the seeds and ribs. Carefully trim the bottoms if necessary to make peppers stand straight when upright. Place a steamer rack over a few inches of boiling water, or set a colander over a couple of inches boiling water in a large stock pot. Place the peppers in the steamer and cover. Steam 10 minutes, and remove to a baking dish or casserole.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the orzo and brown lightly, and then add 1/2 the garlic and stir. After 30 seconds stir in the water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Spread the orzo onto a baking sheet and cool.
• Place the ground lamb in a bowl and add the cooled orzo. Season with 1/2 the marjoram, the rosemary, 2 tablespoons parsley, and season with salt, and pepper. Overstuff the peppers with the filling. Drizzle about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil over the peppers, pouring about 1 tablespoon over top of each. Arrange the peppers in a casserole or small baking dish and roast 50 minutes to 1 hour, until crispy at the edges and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cubanelle peppers, remaining garlic, remaining marjoram, and saute until soft. Add the tomato sauce, and season with salt, and pepper.
• Cool the peppers and sauce for a make-ahead meal or serve immediately.
• For reheating: Add 1/2 cup water to the baking dish, and place in a heated 375 degree F oven, covered until warmed throughout, about 30 minutes. Uncover and let the water evaporate, and crisp the top, 20 minutes more. Reheat the sauce over medium-low heat to heat through.
• Serve the peppers hot with sauce over top, or in a puddle underneath the peppers. Top with crumbled feta.

MAMA'S OH-SO-SAVORY LAMB AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
• Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
• Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
• Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.

TURKISH STUFFED EGGPLANT (KARNIYARIK)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush some olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish.
• Peel 4 strips, spaced evenly apart, from each eggplant. Place eggplants in the prepared dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant just start to soften, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with some olive oil. Leave oven on and let eggplant cool.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt; saute until onions are translucent and slightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, rosemary, parsley, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon salt to the lamb. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add poblano and Fresno chiles. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add Pecorino cheese.
• Slice an opening into each eggplant through one of the peeled strips. Spread eggplant 'bellies' open with two spoons and remove excess seeds if desired. Season insides with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and fill with the stuffing. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top; pour chicken broth into the dish.
• Continue baking until eggplants are very soft and tender, about 45 minutes. Spoon pan drippings on top to serve.

EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH LAMB AND FETA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Brush the cut surfaces of the eggplant halves with half of the olive oil. Place cut-side-up onto the baking sheet, and place into the oven. Bake the eggplant for 30 minutes until tender. Once done, remove and allow to cool slightly. Scoop out the flesh, leaving the shells 1/2 inch thick. Remove as many of the seeds as you can, then coarsely chop the flesh, and place into a large mixing bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb, and cook for a few minutes until it begins to crumble. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper. Cook until the onion has softened, and the lamb is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Place the meat mixture into the bowl with the eggplant, and stir in the marinara sauce, feta cheese, eggs, and bread crumbs until well mixed.
• Evenly divide the lamb mixture into the eggplant shells, then return the eggplant to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the mozzarella, and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake until the filling has set, and the mozzarella has turned golden brown, about 25 minutes more.

EGGPLANT STUFFED BELL PEPPER

Steps:

• 1. Liberally salt diced eggplant and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse well & drain.
• 2. If using ground beef, season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion and fry off the ground beef and/or breakfast sausage in a skillet until no longer pink.
• 3. Remove meat to drain in paper towel lined colander and discard grease. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and use to toast bread crumbs.
• 4. Slice top off of peppers and remove seeds and ribs from inside. Stand up peppers in a rectangle baking dish with just a little water in the bottom. Set aside.
• 5. In a stockpot saute eggplant, tomatoes, vegetables, and seasoning (first 11 ingredients) in 4 tablespoons olive oil until it's really cooked down, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour.
• 6. In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add breadcrumbs; stir to completely coat breadcrumbs. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until breadcrumbs get about 2 shades darker. Remove from heat and set aside.
• 7. While eggplant mixture is cooking, get a large mixing bowl add beaten eggs, and toasted bread crumbs, (See Note Below), shredded cheese (except cheese for topping) & seasonings. Mix well and set aside.
• 8. When the eggplant mixture has cooked down for an hour or so, add the meat or seafood and cook until hot and/or seafood is cooked through. Taste eggplant mixture and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove from Heat. Add eggs and cheese mixture to eggplant and mix well.
• 9. Stuff mixture into bell peppers and pack firmly. Liberally top with cheese reserved for topping and bake at 350* F for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to turn golden. Enjoy!
• 10. *Note: Toasting the breadcrumbs is an important step and will keep the mixture from becoming gummy. Toast extra and put in Ziploc bag in freezer for later use.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH EGGPLANT AND CHEESY RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cut off the tops of each pepper. Pull out the ribs and seeds and discard. Discard the stems and dice the pepper tops. Set aside. Lightly trim the bottoms of each pepper so they can stand up.
• Stand the peppers up on a baking sheet or large skillet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper then roast until they begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, jalapenos and onions and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the diced pepper tops and eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and mix to combine. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the crushed tomatoes and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is creamy and al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the saucepot from the heat and stir in the mascarpone and basil. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Fill each pepper with the rice mixture, then stand them up on the same baking sheet or large skillet and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and the peppers are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with more torn basil and a drizzle of oil.

EGGPLANT STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Place peppers in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes to soften, drain thoroughly set aside.
• Pour oil in large skillet, stir in eggplant and garlic
• Cook until eggplant is soft, approximately 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Stir bread crumbs into eggplant mixture; toss until bread crumbs are moistened.
• Stir in basil, parmesan cheese,pepper, goat cheese, parsley and pine nuts.
• Fill softened peppers with filling.
• Place peppers in oiled 9 x 13 pan. Pour about 1 cup water into pan.
• Bake in oven covered for about 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Cover each pepper with marinara sauce.
• Return to oven for another 10 minutes.

LAMB STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• PREPARE EGGPLANTPreheat oven to 190ºC fan bake (375ºF) and line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut eggplants in half lengthways. Brush all over with olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Place on prepared tray, cut side up, and bake for 20 minutes.
• MAKE FILLINGMeanwhile, heat a large pot or frying pan on medium-high. Add mince and cook, stirring, until browned all over. Crush garlic and add to the mince. Stir in tomato paste, Moroccan seasoning and crumbled stock cube. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with cracked pepper.
• ASSEMBLE STUFFED EGGPLANTSRemove eggplants from oven and carefully scoop out most of the flesh. Finely dice and stir into the mince. Fill each eggplant half with mince mixture and top with parmesan and pine nuts. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
• MAKE SALADDice cucumber and cut tomatoes in half. Finely dice red onion. Stir together in a salad bowl with the olives. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with a little salt and pepper.
• SERVEDivide stuffed eggplants between individual serving plates and top with a dollop of labneh or yoghurt. Serve with salad on the side.

STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH LAMB

Steps:

• Peel the eggplants lengthwise in 1/2-inch strips "zebra-style," leaving a 1/2-inch strip of skin between each peel. Trim off long stems so eggplant will fit in pan. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan. In batches, fry eggplant until golden all over and beginning to soften, turning frequently. Transfer eggplant to a baking dish, placing them side by side, and cut a deep slit lengthwise in each eggplant. Set aside.
• Heat the butter in the skillet, add the onions and saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the lamb and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bell peppers and salt, and saute until all the juices are absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the parsley, and lemon juice, adjust seasonings and remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stuff the eggplants tightly with the ground lamb mixture, enlarging the opening with your hand. Add a little water to the baking dish, cover, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until eggplants are very tender.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH LAMB AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let it drain for 30 minutes, then rinse, drain and pat dry and chop.
• Cut the top third of peppers off horizontally, seed and reserve tops. Season the peppers with salt and pepper, to taste, and put them in a large bowl. Drizzle them with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and arrange them upright in an oiled roasting dish.
• Heat the 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, in small pan over medium heat. Add the anchovies, if using, and let them melt into the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and swirl for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the oil mixture to a mixing bowl and add the eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, olives, lamb and cheese. Toss to combine and fill the peppers, slightly overstuffing them. Set the tops in place and roast for1 hour. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.
• Reheat in a hot oven by adding a little chicken stock or water to the baking dish for moisture. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until hot and cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Serve 2 peppers per adult portion.

SPICED LAMB-STUFFED EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stems. Using a sharp paring knife, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a shell that is 1/3 inch thick and reserving the scooped-out eggplant. Place the eggplant shells snugly in a single layer in a large (10-by-14-inch) rectangular baking dish. Brush the eggplant all over with 1/4 cup olive oil (use it all!) and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/4 cup water in the baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the shells are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, for the lamb filling, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Cut the reserved scooped-out eggplant into 1/2-inch dice (you should have about 2 cups). Add the eggplant to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding more oil if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground lamb and cook, mashing lightly with a fork, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the oregano and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, marinara, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves in the baking dish. (You may have a little extra filling.)
• In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta, goat cheese, egg yolks, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with a fork. With a spoon, place large dollops of the ricotta mixture on the lamb filling and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with extra mint.