Barley Feta Stuffed Eggplant & Peppers

Wash the eggplant and slice it in half. Using a sharp knife, cut all around the eggplant half, 1/4 inch from the skin.

Slice the inside lengthwise and horizontally. Use a large spoon to scoop out the middle and place in a bowl.

Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the eggplant halves on the baking sheet, scooped side up. Spray the inside of the eggplant.

Broil for 7 minutes then flip them over and broil another 6-7 minutes until tender. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the peppers in a small loaf pan with 1/4 cup of water at the bottom. Bake for 25- 30 minutes until a knife can easily be inserted into the pepper.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Cook the ground veal until browned, remove from pan and set aside.

To the pan, add the garlic, onion, eggplant insides, mushrooms, and cook until tender. Add tomato, water and barley and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer mixture for 30 minutes or until barley is tender.

Uncover and add salt, spinach and feta. Cook 5 minutes until spinach and feta are heated throughout mixture.

Divide the mixture. Place the mixture into the peppers and eggplant and bake them for another 15 minutes.