Stuffed Eggplants

Serve 12

11.5 grams per carbs 

INGREDIENTS

6 small eggplants
1/2 head of garlic, sliced 
1/2 onion, minced
500g mince meat 
60g pine nuts
2 roma tomatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 tsp. allspice (may need to add a few pinches more)
pinch of cinnamon
salt
olive oil
100g parsley, minced

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Place eggplants whole onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, salt and drizzle olive oil onto them, and put into the oven (turn every 15 minutes). Cook for a total of 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Then, remove them and slice an opening down the center, making sure not to cut through the bottom.

While egglant cooking, in a small sauce pan, sauté tomatoes in a little drizzle of olive oil for a few minutes, salt, then cover and simmer low for about 20 minutes, until you have a nice little sauce. While you are doing this step, start the next.

In a large nonstick pan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic for about 3 minutes until golden. Remove the garlic, add a touch more oil to the pan, and sauté the onions for about 5-7 minutes, until they begin to turn translucent. Next, add in the mince, salt generously, and cook on medium. Make sure you break up all the pieces of meat really well so it fits nicely into the eggplant. Once the meat is almost cooked, add in cinnamon, all spice, tomato sauce, pine nuts, test for seasoning, and cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low.

Next, Salt and drizzle olive oil into the opening of the eggplants (it is very important here to salt the eggplant, otherwise the taste is a little bland). Place the meat filling in the eggplants, and put in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once the eggplant is tender throughout, remove, top with parsley, and serve!