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Greek Style Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant: Melitzanes Papoutsakia

2/28/2018

7 Comments

 
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Serves 4:
2 eggplants
​2 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
​5 small Portobello mushrooms, chopped
​14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, or grated fresh tomatoes
1/3 cup garbanzo beans/chick peas
​6 Kalamata olives, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
​1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
​about 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
about 2 cups cubed feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley

​Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, 260 degrees Celsius.

Slice eggplant in half, lengthwise and scoop out the pulp leaving 1/4 inch border all around. Set the pulp aside in a bowl to use in the sauce.

​Brush inside and outside with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
​Place on a baking tray lined with foil. 
​Bake in the oven for 6-7 minutes. Set the oven to the broil setting. Broil the eggplant on the middle rack for about 6 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

​Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 204 degrees Celsius.

​Place the potato slices in a 9 by 13 inch baking tray. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over them and season with salt, pepper, and oregano on both sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Leave the oven on at 400 degrees.

​To make the sauce, combine the onions, garlic, and olive oil in a saucepan and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes or until soft and golden. Stir often and reduce the heat if the onions and garlic begin to brown too fast. Smash the garlic with a wooden cooking spoon.

​Add the chopped mushrooms to the pot and cook over high heat about 2-3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
​Add the eggplant pulp and cook for 3-4 minutes, mixing so that it does not burn. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
​Mix in the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and 1.4 cup water. Cook 20-25 minutes on medium heat and mixing often. Add some more water if necessary. The sauce is ready when the eggplant is soft and breaks down to create a thick, rich sauce. If after 25 minutes there is too much liquid in the pot, increase the heat to high and cook while stirring until it thickens.

​Stir in the sliced olives and chick peas with the parsley. Taste seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Place the eggplants over the baked potato slices.

​Crumble some feta and place inside each eggplant. Distribute the sauce evenly into each eggplant and tp with the remaining crumbled feta cheese.

​Bake in the center rack for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake 15 more minutes.

​Remove from oven and set aside to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with salad and toasted hearty bread.

​Enjoy!
7 Comments
Cathy link
3/9/2018 06:33:01 pm

I made the veggy papoutsakia tonight. They were so good. There were so many flavors dancing in my mouth. I really didn't miss the meat at all. A great dish while fasting (but of course not for our vegan fast). Even my meat loving husband loved it. This is a keeper in my house. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

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Dimitra link
3/11/2018 08:16:20 pm

Hi Cathy! I'm so glad that your family enjoyed this meal. You can make it vegan by leaving out the cheese and topping it with a lemony mashed potato before baking. My skordalia recipe would taste great! Best regards, Dimitra

Reply
Cathy link
3/18/2018 10:05:03 am

I will definitely try that. Thank you!

Sherry
5/19/2018 07:04:34 am

I want to make this, but I'm confused what to do with the potatoes. It's not mentioned anywhere. Are they a side dish?

Reply
Dimitra link
5/21/2018 03:35:50 pm

Hi Sherry,

Sorry about that. I'll correct the recipe instructions. So, after baking the potatoes and eggplants while the sauce is cooking, place the potato slices on the bottom of the baking dish, top with the eggplants and then fill and bake. I hope that makes sense :) Best regards, Dimitra

Reply
Franca
9/3/2018 11:10:08 am

How much garlic

Cathy
9/5/2018 03:29:27 pm

Hi Franca, I used 3 cloves. It helps if you watch Dimitra's videos too.

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    Hi, I'm Dimitra and welcome to my blog! Here, I'll teach you just how much fun and easy it is to please a crowd with my versions of Greek classics. Kali Orexi as we say in Greek!

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