10-15 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to cook)
This is a dish “stolen” from Greek taverns, pretty flexible as ingredients range, so can be easily adapted to each one taste. Not too rich in calories, with plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Eggplants are a very balanced source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin K and C, folic acid and of course fibers. They are also rich in antioxidants (anthocyanins, lycopene, nasunin, chlorogenic acid). All these help in decreasing the level of LDL (“bad cholesterol”), protects cardiovascular system, cognitive function, eyes health, and can also help in preventing inflammation and cellular deterioration. Eggplants are among the most used ingredients in the Indian and Turkish kitchen.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 4 medium sized eggplants (100-150g each), ripped, but with a firm peel. We are using organic types, they are smaller however seem more tasty.
- One onion, one sweet red pepper
- 100-125g feta type cheese or other sheep or goat cheese in brine
- Salt, pepper, spicy paprika and olive oil upon your taste.
Nutritional information: 170 calories per serving of 2 stuffed eggplant halves, of which:
- Fats: 10g of which saturated 4,5g
- Carbohydrates 15g of which sugars 6g
- Proteins: 7 g
- Fibers: 4g
Steps:
- Cut the eggplants in halves, then remove the core, careful not to pierce the peel.
- Put the eggplant halves in the oven (150-160°C / 400°F) for 15 minutes, testing periodically with a tooth stick whether they got soft, preferably near the stem where is tougher. When they get soft, remove from the oven.
- While the eggplant halves are in the oven dice the initially removed core, the cheese, the onion and the red pepper (by the way, pepper can be also yellow, this matter only from chromatic perspective)
- Warm up in a pan with 1 teaspoon of oil (not more) at a medium flare the diced ingredients until it gets soft – should take 5 minutes then add upon your taste salt, pepper, few drops of spicy olive oil (if you do no have then normal olive oil and a pinch of spicy paprika).
- After removing the eggplant halves from the oven stuff them with the mix from the pan and put them again in the oven for 15 minutes.
Tips:
- put some salt on the eggplant halves before cooking them, it could get soft sooner. If you do this, consider adding less salt in the filling mix.
- you can keep few cheese dices and put them on top after stuffing the eggplant halves with the mix. Will look better at the end chromatically 😊
Of course, you can adapt the composition in many ways so you can satisfy your own preferences. Curious to see if you liked it or whether you tried also other variations.