My roommate Laura is basically a vegetarian, and it makes living and eating together easy and fun. She loves a lot of the same foods that I do, and is always down to spend a Saturday morning at the Greenmarket fawning over baby heirloom tomatoes and fairytale eggplants with me. Laura and I cooked dinner together last night and I am so excited to share the recipe! We've been wanting to cook together for a few weeks, and our schedules finally aligned. The recipe just came together so well, without a lot of detailed planning and thought behind it. She mentioned that she would like something with eggplant and brussels sprouts, and then I conceptualized how to make that happen. I literally dreamt about this recipe the night before we made it. Talk about obsessed.
This baked stuffed eggplant is warming, comforting, and hearty. It is the perfect meal for a chilly autumn night - a real "meat and potatoes" meal, but vegan! The aroma of crispy roasted rosemary potatoes in the oven will make your kitchen (or tiny apartment) smell amazing. The recipe has a bunch of little steps, but they are all uncomplicated and easy to accomplish, especially if you have somebody helping you! It took us about an hour and a half from start to finish, so make sure you cook this dish when you have a little extra time in the evening. It would be great dinner to make on a rainy, lazy Sunday :-). (Laura unfortunately had to wait a few extra minutes while I took photos of our meal, and even provided a perfect backdrop - that white cloth napkin is all her).
This baked stuffed eggplant is warming, comforting, and hearty. It is the perfect meal for a chilly autumn night - a real "meat and potatoes" meal, but vegan! The aroma of crispy roasted rosemary potatoes in the oven will make your kitchen (or tiny apartment) smell amazing. The recipe has a bunch of little steps, but they are all uncomplicated and easy to accomplish, especially if you have somebody helping you! It took us about an hour and a half from start to finish, so make sure you cook this dish when you have a little extra time in the evening. It would be great dinner to make on a rainy, lazy Sunday :-). (Laura unfortunately had to wait a few extra minutes while I took photos of our meal, and even provided a perfect backdrop - that white cloth napkin is all her).
Warming Autumn Stuffed Eggplant with Balsamic Glaze and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the eggplant:
1 large purple eggplant
1 heaping cup cooked lentils
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (use about 1/4 cup dry)
7-8 brussels sprouts, quartered
5 large baby bella mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped kale
1 sprig rosemary, leaves pulled off
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
For the potatoes:
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered
2-3 sprigs rosemary, leaves pulled off
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
olive oil
generous shaking of salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut stem off eggplant and halve lengthwise. score the flesh in a checkerboard pattern, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Line baking sheet or dish with parchment paper or tin foil, and place eggplants flesh side up. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes until fork tender, and edges of skin begins to blister. At 30 minutes, increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, prepare your potatoes. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. Place baking sheet in oven for 5-10 minutes to heat it up. In large bowl, toss with your hands the potatoes a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and plenty of rosemary. Remove heated pan, and carefully spread potatoes on dish, cut side down. Return pan to oven, and roast for 30-35 minutes, until edges are brown and crispy.
3. Sauté brussels sprouts, mushrooms and onions for 5-10 minutes. Add kale and garlic, and sauté until kale is wilted. Remove from heat. Stir lentils and quinoa into the pan with rosemary.
4. After eggplant is removed from oven, carefully scoop out flesh making sure to leave a "shell" of the eggplant skin intact. Add the scooped out flesh to pan with veggie/quinoa/lentil mix. Combine to form your filling. Scoop filling into eggplant shells until full. (You probably will have leftover filling).
5. Return stuffed eggplants to oven for 10 minutes. Heat balsamic vinegar in small frying pan over medium-high heat to make balsamic reduction. The vinegar should be bubbling on the edges, and will form a thicker, sweeter liquid in about 5 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't start to burn!
6. Remove eggplants and potatoes from oven. Drizzle eggplant halves with balsamic glaze, and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Have you had any cooking collaborations lately with a friend or family member? It's one of my favorite ways to spend time with loved ones!
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the eggplant:
1 large purple eggplant
1 heaping cup cooked lentils
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (use about 1/4 cup dry)
7-8 brussels sprouts, quartered
5 large baby bella mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped kale
1 sprig rosemary, leaves pulled off
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
For the potatoes:
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered
2-3 sprigs rosemary, leaves pulled off
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
olive oil
generous shaking of salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut stem off eggplant and halve lengthwise. score the flesh in a checkerboard pattern, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Line baking sheet or dish with parchment paper or tin foil, and place eggplants flesh side up. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes until fork tender, and edges of skin begins to blister. At 30 minutes, increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, prepare your potatoes. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. Place baking sheet in oven for 5-10 minutes to heat it up. In large bowl, toss with your hands the potatoes a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and plenty of rosemary. Remove heated pan, and carefully spread potatoes on dish, cut side down. Return pan to oven, and roast for 30-35 minutes, until edges are brown and crispy.
3. Sauté brussels sprouts, mushrooms and onions for 5-10 minutes. Add kale and garlic, and sauté until kale is wilted. Remove from heat. Stir lentils and quinoa into the pan with rosemary.
4. After eggplant is removed from oven, carefully scoop out flesh making sure to leave a "shell" of the eggplant skin intact. Add the scooped out flesh to pan with veggie/quinoa/lentil mix. Combine to form your filling. Scoop filling into eggplant shells until full. (You probably will have leftover filling).
5. Return stuffed eggplants to oven for 10 minutes. Heat balsamic vinegar in small frying pan over medium-high heat to make balsamic reduction. The vinegar should be bubbling on the edges, and will form a thicker, sweeter liquid in about 5 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't start to burn!
6. Remove eggplants and potatoes from oven. Drizzle eggplant halves with balsamic glaze, and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Have you had any cooking collaborations lately with a friend or family member? It's one of my favorite ways to spend time with loved ones!