Vegetable- Rice Stuffed Eggplant: A Recipe

One of the most useful and versatile items in my refrigerator is wheat germ. The germ is the most nutritious portion of the wheat kernel and makes up only about 2 1/2% of its weight. It has a nutty flavor and is very oily, which causes it to turn rancid quickly.

Wheat germ is the reproductive area or embryo from which the seed germinates to form the sprout that becomes the green wheat grass. The term "germ" comes from the word germinate, and does not refer to "germs" such as bacteria and viruses.

Wheat germ is usually separated from the bran and starch during the milling of flour because the germ's perishable oil content limits the keeping time of the flour. Wheat germ contains very little of the sticky gluten protein to which many with wheat allergy react.

I often add wheat germ to smoothies, oatmeal and other breakfast cereals, the amount I use depends upon the use;

For a smoothies, 1 tbsp

For a cold breakfast cereal 1 tsp.

Once opened keep the wheat germ in a glass jar, properly sealed in your refrigerator.

The following recipe is one from my recipe file that I originally got from Kretschmer who is the manufacturer of the wheat germ that I use. I have made a few modifications.

Vegetable- Rice Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients:

3 small eggplants (about 6 oz. each)

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped zucchini

3/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup Kretschmer® Original Toasted Wheat Germ

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/3 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400°F.

Lightly spray 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

Halve eggplants lengthwise, leaving stem intact.

Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell. Arrange eggplant shells in pan.

Chop eggplant pulp; set aside.

Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is tender.

Add bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms and reserved eggplant pulp; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, rice, wheat germ, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper; heat through.

Fill eggplant shells with vegetable mixture. (Eggplant shells will be very full.) Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until shells are tender and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with additional wheat germ, if desired.

4 SERVINGS