Fresh Mushrooms with Eggplant & Tomato
Submitted by Foobizkit
Stuffed mushroom caps filled with a Mediterranean eggplant and tomato mixture brightened with garlic, basil and parsley. A make-ahead vegetarian appetizer you can serve warm or at room temperature.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsThese stuffed mushrooms swap the usual cheesy bread filling for a savory eggplant and tomato mixture, the kind of vegetarian bite that disappears fast off an appetizer tray. Salting the eggplant first is the move that makes it work, pulling out the bitter juices so the flesh cooks up silky and sweet instead of spongy.
The filling builds in a skillet: softened eggplant folded with onion, celery, chopped mushroom stems, garlic, fresh tomato, basil and a little tomato paste, all bound together with bread crumbs. Each cap gets wiped with a lemon-dampened cloth to keep it pale and fresh, then mounded with the filling.
Serve them at room temperature for a fuss-free party spread, or warm them through in the oven for a cozier appetizer. A final shower of fresh parsley brightens every bite.
Kitchen Tips
- Don’t rush the eggplant salting. The full 30 minutes draws out moisture and bitterness, and drying it well afterward keeps it from steaming in the pan.
- Wipe the mushroom caps clean rather than rinsing them. They soak up water like sponges and turn slimy.
- Pack the caps generously and mound the filling, since it shrinks slightly as it warms.
- The filling holds beautifully, so make it a day ahead and stuff the caps just before serving.
Variations
- Crumble in feta or grated Parmesan for a salty, cheesy edge.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the filling for gentle heat.
- Use the same mixture to stuff hollowed zucchini or small bell peppers.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut eggplant in half lengthwise.
Make crisscross patterns in the pulp and sprinkle with salt.
Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and drain well, drying with paper towels.
Peel and coarsely chop.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over a medium heat.
Cook eggplant until softened.
Let cool.
Heat remining oil and cook onion, celery, choped mushrooms and garlic for 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and return eggplant to skillet. Stir in bread crumbs, tomato paste and 3 tablespoons parsley.
Add basil. Continue to cook for 4 minutes.
Just before serving, wipe mushrooms with cloth dampened in lemon juice.
Carefully remove the stems.
Fill each cap with some of the eggplant mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.
You can serve the mushrooms hot by baking briefly until watm and then sprinkling with parsley.
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