Stuffed Eggplant

Half the 2 eggplants and place then cut side down on the parchment paper.  Using a fork, pierce many holes into the eggplant.  Cook for around 30 minutes.

While the eggplant cooks, prepare the lentil and barley by cooking as instructed on the package.  Strain once cooked and set aside.

Into a medium-sized pot, plant butter on medium-low heat for 30 seconds before adding in the finely chopped yellow onion.  Cook for around 5 minutes or until fragrant.  After 5 minutes of cooking, add in the garlic, stirring to mix. After about 3 minutes, throw in the artichokes, capers, vegetable stock paste, bay leaves, pepper, sundried tomatoes and lemon.  Cook for around 5 minutes before adding in the cooked lentils and barley. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.

Remove the eggplant from the oven.  Flip them skin-side down and lightly score the eggplant in diagonal cuts. This will make room for the beautiful stuffing you've just made.  You may also need to handle gently and remove a bit of the eggplant center with a spoon.  Simply add those insides to the legume mixture.

Using a spoon, stuff eggplant till full and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden and gorgeous.

Serve with a fresh salad and gorgeous pieces of garlic bread.