Stuffed Eggplant

Giving Meatless Monday another shot this week.  I put this dish together in my head the other day, and it would be very easy to substitute ingredients to suit your taste.  Feel free to use this recipe as a blueprint to build your own delicious Meatless Monday meal.

Hope you enjoy!

1 Eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise, some inside flesh removed to create small "bowl"
1 cup Quinoa
Salt
Olive Oil
1/4 Red Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Bell Pepper
3 TBSP Sunflower Seeds
3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
Gorgonzola Cheese

1. Heat oven to 350.  Coat flesh of eggplant with approx 1 Tsp of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt.  Put on baking tray flesh side up and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Eggplant flesh should be slightly browned when done.  Remove from oven.

2.  While eggplant is in oven, prepare Quinoa as directed.  Add 3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar in addition to the water needed to cook quinoa.  When it is ready, remove from heat and set aside.  1 cup will have cooked up to about 2.5 cups. 

3.  Saute pepper, onion, sunflower seeds, and garlic in olive oil.

4.  Combine sauteed veggies and approx 3/4 cup of quinoa in separate dish.  Stir together and then 'stuff' the eggplant halves with the mixture.  Sprinkle cheese on top, and put under the broiler for a few minutes to melt cheese. 

Serve.  Can use extra quinoa as a side, or serve by itself.