CHRISTMAS EGGPLANT 🍆🎄🍆

Hello my Dearest Foodies,

Weekend is practically here although in Canada is only Friday, nevertheless, it is exiting time of Christmas rush, whether you are shopping, baking cookies or decorating. I was doing some shopping on Wednesday and besides that I am mostly in the kitchen making recipes for you. At this time I prepared flavorful and highly nutritious STUFFED EGGPLANT, that is again very easy to make. However, for the best results I suggest using one of my favorites Lundberg Wild Blend Gourmet Rice, you will not regret. There is just one think I have point out about the cooking instructions on that package. It says 1 cup of rice and 1 3/4 of water, but that must be ab error, because you need 2 3/4 of water. I made this rice many times, so you can trust me on that.

I wish you a wonderful weekend 🎄😊🎄

CHRISTMAS EGGPLANT
Stuffed Eggplant served with Mushroom Gravy
Vegan – Gluten Free
Author: Lena’s Vegan Living

INGREDIENTS FOR 4
• Long brown basmati/wild rice mix or rice of your choice 1 cup
• Eggplant 1 large
• Shiitake 1 1/2 cup sliced (200gr or mushrooms of your choice)
• Shallot onion 3 (diced)
• Garlic 4 cloves (minced)
• Baby Arugula 1 ½ cup
• Pecans ¼ cup (roasted and crushed)
• Pumpkin seeds ¼ cup (roasted)
• Sun dried tomatoes 1/2 cup (diced)
• Cumin 1tsp
• Red paprika 2 tsp
• Tamari 2tsp
• Black pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• Himalayan pink salt to taste
• Oil
• Casserole dish
• Brush

PROCESS
• Cook the rice following instructions on the package and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Wash and cut in half your eggplants.
• Scoop carefully the flesh while preserving the shells. Dice the flesh of eggplant to make sure all the chunks are approximately the same size.
• Brush the shells lightly with oil, add salt and garlic powder and roast for 20 to 30min.
• In the meantime, sauté the mushrooms with salt and pepper and set aside.
• On heated oil, sauté the onion for few seconds, add garlic sauté few more minutes and add the eggplant flesh.
• Stir thoroughly while adding Tamari and all the spices.
• When ready, mix all in with cooked rice including the mushrooms, walnuts, sundried tomatoes and arugula.
• Fill your eggplant shells and serve with mushroom gravy.

PECANS – PROCESS
• Place pecans on hot frying pan and roast on each side for few seconds; It doesn’t take long, so be careful, do not burn.
• When ready, set aside to cool down for few minutes.
• In a food processor, grind by pressing the pulse button.
• Make sure they remain chunky.

Follow these instructions for roasting pumpkin seeds as well.

MUSHROOM GRAVY
• Dried mushrooms 2 cups (rinsed and soaked for 6 hours in 2 cups of water or overnight)
• Tamari 1tbs
• Shallot onion 1
• Garlic cloves 2
• Garlic powder to taste
• Rosemary 1tsp
• Nutritional yeast 1tbs
• Black pepper to taste
• Himalayan pink salt to taste
• Oil

PROCESS
• Bring the water with mushrooms into the boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer for one hour. You may add rosemary, pinch of salt and pepper.
• In the meantime, sauté onion for few seconds, add garlic and sauté until translucent. Take off the heat.
• Add nutritional yeast and blend everything in a blender until smooth. You may add little bit more water to adjust the thickness.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOOPING BY & BON APPETIT
FOR RECIPES PLEASE VISIT MY Lena's Vegan Living Blog

|