Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplants

feta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: ricotta cheese

Cottage cheese lowers fat content while still providing creaminess.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while canola oil is often more affordable.

chickpeas

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: white beans

Lentils are lower in calories, and white beans can be more economical.

cumin

🥗Healthier: coriander

💰Cheaper: paprika

Coriander offers a similar flavor profile with less intensity.

Wash and dry the small eggplants, removing the top part and part of the peel in stripes.

Add salt and olive oil to the eggplants and bake them for 20 minutes at 400°F.

Chop the onion finely and mince the garlic.

Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot and sauté the onion until translucent.

Add 3 tablespoons of minced garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.

Add 1 to 1.25 lb of ground beef and cook until browned.

Add green bell pepper, fresh parsley, salt, and black pepper to taste.

Blend 4 big red tomatoes and add to the meat mixture, adjusting with tomato sauce or paste for consistency if desired.

Remove the seeds from the baked eggplants and fill them with the stuffing, adding extra stuffing around the eggplants in the baking dish.

Place potatoes around the eggplants to fill spaces and add leftover stuffing over the eggplants and potatoes.

Optionally, add a clove of garlic in each eggplant for extra flavor.

Swirl half a cup of water in the pot used for stuffing and pour it over the dish.

Bake the dish for a minimum of 45 minutes at 400°F until the eggplants and potatoes are soft.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens