I know what you are thinking, because I used to think the same thing: "eggplant???!!! Who on earth eats eggplant?!" Yours truly, once I tried this recipe. I've made it three times, and I. Love. It.
What you will need to cook this delicious meal:
2 large eggplants
5 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced*
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or dice two or three of your own)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper*
8 oz ground beef* (or bison or pork or lamb)
1/4 cup almond flour (you can use bread crumbs, or parmesan cheese!)
2 tbsp parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2:
Take your eggplants, and cut them in half lengthwise.
Step 3: Remove the pulp (I used a small paring knife and my bare hands to tear it out)
Make sure you leave about a half-inch shell, intact.
Step 4: Dice the eggplant, and set aside.
Step 5: In a pan, heat half the oil, and cook the eggplant shells cut side down, for about 5 minutes.
Once all the shells are cooked, place them in a shallow, oven-friendly pan. You do not have to grease the pan.
Step 6: Add the rest of the oil, and saute the onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Step 7: Add the tomatoes to the pan, along with the diced eggplant...
...and all of your spices...
...and cook over medium high heat until you have a stew-like mixture.
Step 8: In a separate pan, brown your meat.
Step 9: When the meat is fully cooked, mix the contents of the two pans together.
Step 10: Scoop the mixture into your shells, and sprinkle the almond flour/bread crumbs/parmesan cheese on top.
Step 11: Bake for 15 minutes, and when it's done, sprinkle on the parsley, and serve!
This recipe serves 4 (one stuffed shell for each person) and it's filling! And in case you're wondering, you eat the whole thing, shell and all.
*Minor tweaks:
-This recipe calls for 8 oz of meat, but I almost always cook with one pound. It gives me a better meat-to-veggie ratio. We like meat!
-Even though this is called Spicy Stuffed Eggplant, it doesn't have to be that hot. You can always cut down on the cayenne pepper to ensure that no one's mouth is one fire. Or, if you want to skip the spice but not the flavor, use cumin instead! I love cumin. I use it in a lot of my recipes, whether it's called for or not.
-I don't always use fresh onion and garlic. If I want to do a little less chopping, I just turn to my spice rack and add onion flakes and garlic powder instead.
You can find the original recipe here. If you're looking for something healthy, delicious, and a little out of the ordinary, pick up a couple of eggplants and try it out! I think you'll be delightfully surprised.
