Celebrate a Farmer with the Cooking Light Supper Club's Falafel Stuffed Eggplant

Falafel Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish

Welcome back to this months Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club where we continue our celebration of  Spring. We always appreciate you joining us for this monthly event where we get together on the first Wednesday of every month to create a delicious meal from appetizers to dessert with a theme in mind. Ultimately their love of food, blogging and their commitment to a health conscious lifestyle is what has brought these ladies and one gent from Canada and the United States ( joining east and west and north and south) together. Our very first ever Virtual Supper Club was originally sponsored by Cooking Light magazine and although the faces may have changed since its birth in 2009 we have always had a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. Moving on to its 5th year this is a team effort where we continue to share a love for healthy eating and living. We look forward each month to strengthening our bonds, and enjoying each others company virtually. The party goes on for days!!


Here at the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club we have dreamed up a menu on the healthier side without giving up any of the comfort you find in delicious food. For this months menu the Cooking Light Virtual Supper is celebrating our local farmers by going vegetarian. Let's see what the group has brought t the table.

Since this is a vegetarian themed meal I decided upon a tantalizing Falafel Stuffed Eggplant  This recipe from Cooking Light can be made in a flash, since I did make this last minute. Next time I would try this with small eggplants for smaller portions.

Susan of The Spice Garden brings us a tempting appetizer of TempuraGreen Beans (with Mild Cayenne Sour Cream).

Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie compliments our menu with a Arugula Grape Sunflower Seed Salad.

Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch feels the heat and pairs our dishes with an amazing side dish of Asian Carrot Salad.

Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking offers one of my perennial favourites Hasselback Potatoes as she sips Limoncello in Italy with Jerry of A Life, Lived. Enjoy guys!!

**Falafel Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish**

Tahini sauce:

3 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced

Eggplant:

2 eggplants (about 12 ounces each)
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Relish:

1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil  

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 475°.

3. To prepare eggplant, slice the eggplants in half lengthwise; score cut sides with a crosshatch pattern.

Place the eggplant halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 7 minutes or until slightly tender and browned. Remove from oven; carefully scoop out pulp, leaving a 3/4-inch shell. Reserve pulp for another use. Season cut sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

4. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion, and next 11 ingredients (through chickpeas) in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon 1/2 cup chickpea mixture into each eggplant shell. Bake at 475° for 25 minutes or until eggplant halves are tender and chickpea mixture is lightly browned.

5. To prepare relish, combine the tomato and remaining ingredients in a bowl; stir to combine.

6. Place 1 eggplant half on each of 4 plates. Top each half with 1/4 cup relish and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.


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