Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes
At my previous house, I had a large backyard with an equally sizable garden. My gardening skills aren't the greatest but I like to think I'm getting better as each season passes. By the time I'm an old lady with a massive sun hat, I should be a master. One year, I over planted the garden to epic proportions. We had so much okra, tomatoes, and eggplant that I was cooking everything from tomato pie to grilled okra salad. One of my favorite dishes that we came up with was Israeli couscous stuffed eggplant. It's simple to make and so flavorful that the entire family loves it!
Now that we've moved it's taken me some time to get my garden going again and I'm hoping for a good crop this year. Last year I only grew one late tomato but the bugs got to it before I even ate it. It was sad and even sadder was me yelling to oblivion at a stink bug in front of my neighbors. Crossing my fingers for plentiful eggplant this year, but if not at least the market's not far away.
Flavorful Israeli couscous combined with tomatoes, olives, herbs, and feta cheese then baked in tender eggplant make a delicious dinner or side dish that no one can resist!
by Meredith Steele
What you'll need
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 6 ounces (about 1 cup) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 medium eggplants
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a saucepot, bring couscous and water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the couscous is cooking, combine cheese, tomato, olives, pine nuts, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. With a knife cut around the edge of the interior of the eggplants leaving about a 1/2 inch rim; be careful not to cut all the way through. With a spoon or your hands, gently remove the meat of the eggplant and slice into small cubes. Add the cubed eggplant to the bowl with the feta cheese. You should now have 4 eggplant "boats." Lightly season the eggplants with a pinch of salt.
- Once the couscous is finished, add it to the bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into the eggplant "boats" and press firmly to compress. Place in a large baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggplants are tender. Serve.
