Pork & Eggplant Rice Dressing

When smothering down the eggplant like we are doing in this dish, it is not necessary to salt the eggplant prior to cooking. Ingredients: 1 pound raw pork sausage 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon garlic 1/3 cup dark roux 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning Two 14-ounce cans beef broth 1 large eggplant, peeled & diced (approximately 6 cups) 6 cups cooked rice 1/4 cup chopped green onion 1/4 cup chopped parsley Directions: 1. Squeeze pork sausage out of casing into saucepot and cook over medium heat until completely browned. 2. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and roux. Cook for additional 5 minutes, stirring until roux blends with onion mixture. 3. Add Cajun seasoning and beef broth. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. 4. Uncover and add eggplant. Bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes 5. Stir in cooked rice, green onions and parsley. Yields 8-10 servings. Recipe compliments of Chef Patrick Mould.