Eggplant Stuffed with Lamb

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 baby eggplants
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 410g can of Ardmona diced tomatoes
¼ cups dry jasmine rice
275 g ground lamb
½ lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley
20 asparagus spears
2 tbsp butter

Method

Hollow out each eggplant leaving about ¼ inch on the walls. Rinse with water and set aside.

Heat oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add pine nuts and stir frequently  until they are golden in color. Transfer pinenuts to a medium sized bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add onion and garlic to the oil, stirring occasionally until golden. Transfer half of the onion mixture to the bowl with the pine nuts.

Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper to the remaining onion mixture and simmer.

Add rice, lamb, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper to the onion/pine nut mixture and mix well. Stuff each eggplant with the meat mixture. Please note, the rice will expand when cooking, so avoid stuffing the eggplants too tightly. If there is any remaining lamb mixture, add it to the tomato sauce.

Transfer the eggplants to the skillet with the tomato sauce and simmer, covered for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Turn the eggplants over once in the middle of the cooking process.

When eggplant is almost done, steam asparagus and toss with butter.

Serve eggplant with sauce on top. Squeeze lemon juice and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with asparagus.