Stuffed eggplant (and other stuffed vegetable variations)

Mom's famous cream cheese and olive stuffing (Laura's rendition)

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped and sautéed
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 15 oz can sliced olives
• 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

To make with stuffed eggplant, hollow out the middle of the eggplant but leave enough so skin holds its shape. Salt the inside of the eggplant shell. Finely chop the innards and add to the stuffing mixture. Re-stuff eggplant with stuffing and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Serve with baked potato and side salad

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Pesto stuffing

Simple version

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squashes, bell peppers, or pumpkins (pumpkins were least good in past experience)
• Stuffing
  • 1 recipe basil pesto or TJ's vegan kale pesto
  • 6 cups bread squares (1cm)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup water

Directions

1. Cut pumpkin / acorn squash / bell peppers in half (or cut off top). Scoop out seeds. Drizzle inside with 1 tbsp olive oil on each half.
2. Slow cooker directions
   1. Fill each half of pumpkin with stuffing. Put in slow cooker atop quartered potatoes mixed with olive oil so pumpkin is not sitting on bottom of cooker.
   2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
3. Oven directions
   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
   2. If using squash or pumpkin, turn upside down on baking pan / glass pan. Bake approximately 30 to 45 minutes until soft.
   3. Mix together stuffing ingredients.
   4. Stuff squash / pumpkin / pepper and bake additional 30 minutes.

Full version

Ingredients

• 2 pumpkins or acorn squashes
• Stuffing
  • 1 recipe basil pesto
  • 1 onion, chopped (and sautéed)
  • 6 cups bread squares (1cm)
  • 1 cup chopped veggies (broccoli slaw, shredded carrots, celery, etc)
  • 2 cups finely-chopped spinach or arugula leaves (optional)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup white beans or cashew cream (1 cup cashews blended with 1/2 cup water)
  • 2 cups water

Directions

1. If using white beans in stuffing, cook beans.
2. Cut pumpkin or acorn squash in half (or cut off top). Scoop out seeds. Drizzle inside with 1 tbsp olive oil on each half.
3. Slow cooker directions
   1. Fill each half of pumpkin with stuffing. Put in slow cooker atop quartered potatoes mixed with olive oil so pumpkin is not sitting on bottom of cooker.
   2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Oven directions
   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
   2. Turn acorn squash upside down on baking pan / glass pan. Bake approximately 30 to 45 minutes until soft.
   3. Make cashew cream if using
   4. Chop and saute onion.
   5. Mix together stuffing ingredients.
   6. Stuff squash or pumpkin and bake additional 30 minutes.

Low carb stuffing

1. Mushrooms
2. Zucchini
3. Cauliflower rice
4. Regular rice or bread crumbs
5. Bell pepper
6. Onion
7. Spinach
8. Couscous

Pumpkin stuffed wild rice

1. Brown rice
2. Onion
3. Celery
4. Mashed garbanzo beans
5. Black olives
6. Dried cranberries
7. Thyme and a bit of rosemary, salt and black pepper

https://marisamoore.com/vegan-wild-rice-stuffing/