Stuffed Baked Eggplant Skins

When we were smaller, at lest once a week, mum would make us an easy dinner of stuffed baked eggplant that we thought was the greatest invention mum could come up with. And up until a year ago, I never knew she got it from a recipe book. Let’s just say we had a good laugh. But it turns out that even though she got the idea from the cookbook, she’s made it all her own. And now I have taken it and made it mine.

About four months ago when we decided to try out hand at hydroponic gardening. Eggplant was one of those at the top of the list. It took a lot of nurturing, coddling but finally we got one!

So when our one and only eggplant was finally ready from the garden, I thought this was the best way to showcase it and mum’s new and improved stuffed baked eggplant. This recipe is quite simple, just a little time consuming preparing all the steps. But after making it a couple of times, it becomes so easy you don even need to follow the recipe.

So Let’s begin:

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium sized eggplant
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 carrot chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 2 blades of chive chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare your vegetables and eggplant by cutting off the top and cut down the center lengthwise. 
2. Scoop out the inside by cutting around the edges, then cutting the flesh lengthwise then widthwise, and scoping out the flesh until there is a thin layer left on the skin. Chop the scooped eggplant into small pieces and set aside. (see pics and video)
3. Place the prepared eggplant on a baking sheet covered in foil, sprinkle with salt and set aside until ready to fill. 
4. In bowl, season your ground beef with one 1tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
5. In skillet heat 2 tbsp coconut oil over medium to high heat. Saute garlic until fragrant, then add chopped onion, garlic and chive, sprinkle with a little salt and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
6. Add seasoned beef stir until just starting to brown, then add the eggplant. Stir to combine, cover and reduce to a medium to low heat. Cook for about 6-7 minutes stiring occasionally until eggplant has melted down, and beef is cooked. (adding a little water as need to ensure it doesn’t burn) 
7. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and start stuffing your prepared eggplant skins. Fill with as much meat as possible. (there’s usually come leftover to snack on while its baking)
8. Cover with a light layer of mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degree oven for 30 until the skin is tender. Broil for another couple minutes until the cheese is brown.
9. Remove from the heat and enjoy!

Here’s a twist:

• If you want it to add more cheese, sometimes we add a layer before filling with the minced stuffing.
• It also tastes great without the cheese!