While removing the centers of the onions can be a bit tedious, it's well worth the effort! Use some of the centers in the stuffing and save the rest for another use.
2 large sweet onions
1 c. beef broth
1/4 c. dried mushrooms
3 T. dry sherry
1 c. sourdough bread crumbs (I use the leftovers from hollowed out bread bowls)
1/4 c. crumbled, cooked sausage
Remove any dried outer layers from the onions. Cut the tops and bottoms off of the onion. Using a melon baller, remove the inner sections of the onions from the top. Allow at least 1/2" of onion to remain as a shell. Reserve 1/2 cup of the inside of the onions for the recipe. Save the rest for another use.
In a small saucepan, heat the beef broth to boiling. Remove from the heat and add the dried mushrooms and sherry. Cover and allow to stand.
Meanwhile, bring a 4 quarts of water to a boil. Gently lower the onion shells into the water and allow to boil for about 10 minutes or until the shells are softened, but still able to stand on their own. Remove from the water and drain upside down on paper towels.
Remove the mushrooms from the broth and chop coarsely. Combine the mushrooms, bread crumbs and sausage in a medium bowl. Add enough of the beef broth mixture to generously moisten the stuffing.
Place the onions in a deep loaf pan. Carefully spoon the dressing into the shells, pressing it into all of the spaces as you go. Once the onions have been stuffed, pour any remaining beef broth into the bottom of the pan and add enough water to cover the bottom 2 inches of the pan.
Bake, covered with foil, for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until the stuffing is heated through and the onions are tender.
Once the eggplant's been baked, the flesh becomes soft and deliciously flavored by the pesto and mozzarella.
5 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 medium eggplants, sliced thinly lengthwise
4 T. pesto
1 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic. Fry the eggplant slices lightly on both sides and drain them on paper towels.
Carefully spread the pesto onto one side of each of the eggplant slices. Top with the cheese and a few torn basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll up the slices in a pinwheel fashion, secure with toothpicks and place in a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.
While removing the centers of the onions can be a bit tedious, it's well worth the effort! Use some of the centers in the stuffing and save the rest for another use.