Lebanese Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

• 18 (5 to 6-inch long) bambino eggplants (about 6 oz each)
• 1.5 C jasmine rice
• 3/4 C olive oil
• 1/2 C pine nuts
• 3 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 C veg stock
• 2 C diced tomatoes
• 2 lbs mushrooms
• 1 tbsp allspice
• 1 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 C chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Hollow out each eggplant with a melon-baller, working from the end and leaving about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along the interior walls.
2. Rinse rise in cold water
3. Heat oil in heavy skillet and fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden brown - about 3 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl.
4. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes
5. Transfer onions to a bowl with pine nuts.
6. Add stock, tomatoes, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper to skillet and simmer, uncovered, while stuffing eggplant.
7. Add rice, mushrooms, allspice, 1 tbsp salt, 1tsp pepper to bowl with onions and mix well. Add some oil too if using mushrooms.
8. Stuff eggplant with mixture, being careful not to pack tightly - rice will expand during cooking.
9. Transfer eggplant to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once until rice is cooked through. About 1 hour.
10. If sauce is watery, transfer eggplant to a plate and reduce sauce. Return eggplant to sauce.
11. Squeeze lemon over dish and sprinkle with parsley before serving.