Stuffed eggplant with lentils, feta & basil
My favourite way to enjoy eggplant!
Can you believe Christmas is less than two weeks away?! Over the next week or so, I’m going to share some of my simple, summer favourite recipes that would make lovely dishes to serve on the big day. First up is my easy stuffed eggplant!
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 can of lentils, drained
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
2 eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
100g feta or ricotta
Fresh basil to serve
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Place the lentils, tomatoes, paprika, and cumin in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring, until thick and velvety. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
While the sauce is cooking, place the eggplants in a greased baking dish, flesh-side up. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then bake for 20 minutes or until tender and lightly charred. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then scoop out the eggplant flesh and add to lentil sauce. Using a potato masher, mash until the eggplant melts into the sauce.
Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with the lentil mixture, dividing it evenly between the four halves. Crumble the feta on top, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
Serve with a scattering of fresh basil. Serves 4