Rice and Feta-Stuffed Baby Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1.3 pounds baby eggplants cut in half lengthwise
• 1 cup brown basmati rice cooked
• 0.3 cup cooking wine dry white
• 2 ounces feta cheese crumbled
• 2 tablespoons basil fresh finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley fresh finely chopped
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 1  jalapeno seeded finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 cup onion finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt divided
• 0.5 teaspoon sugar 
• 2 cups tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper yellow finely chopped

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 37
2. Combine tomato, dry white wine, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; spread evenly.
3. Scoop pulp from eggplant halves, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Chop pulp.
4. Sprinkle inside surfaces of eggplant shells with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet oven medium-high heat.
6. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; saut 3 minutes. Stir in eggplant pulp, basil, and jalapeo; cover, reduce heat, and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender.
7. Remove from heat; stir in rice, cheese, and parsley.
8. Spoon about 1/4 cup eggplant mixture into each eggplant shell, pressing gently; place shells, cut sides up, over tomato mixture in baking dish. Cover and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 15 minutes or until shells are tender. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato mixture over each eggplant half.
9. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.