Stuffed Eggplant with Quinoa & Burdock

This recipe is the fruit of my second week of successful meal planning. I love trying new recipes! In this particular case, I found a yummy looking recipe online and modified it to fit the ingredients I like or had on hand. But then there was burdock – which I had never heard of before in my life. I had no clue what it tasted like, where to find it, or if it was even in season. But it went on the shopping list anyway. I figured if I couldn’t find it, I would just forge ahead without it in the recipe.

But don’t let a scary sounding ingredient turn you away from this dish. The burdock is well worth seeking out for the sweet, nutty flavor and isn’t nearly as intimidating as it sounds. I asked the guy in the produce section at Whole Foods if they carried it. He turned around, picked up a long brown root vegetable about 2 feet long and handed it to me.

Umm, ok.

I put it in my cart. It rang up around 69 cents, and I only used half for this recipe. The other half might make an appearance in a repeat of this dish (cuz it was that good!) or as a tea. It’s great for purifying the blood and detoxifying the skin.

Other than the burdock, the rest of the ingredients are pretty straightforward. You probably have everything you need in the pantry or fridge ready to go! If not, take an inventory, then add to your shopping list.

Stuffed Eggplant with Quinoa & Burdock

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a baking sheet with 1 tsp. of grapeseed oil. Place the halved eggplants on the baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until tender – about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat remaining 2 tsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burdock and cook, stirring often, until just golden. Add onions and cook until tender. Then add carrots & celery and cook for a few minutes more. Add cooked quinoa, Bragg’s, and black pepper and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and let it rest, covered, while the eggplants finish cooking.

When the eggplants are tender, remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 F. Allow them to cool until they are cool enough to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/3-inch wall around the edges. Chop up the eggplant pulp and mix with the almonds into the quinoa and vegetable mixture.

Stuff each eggplant boat with the quinoa mixture and arrange them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top and bake until golden brown and hot, about 30 minutes.

Then revel in the praise and adoration of your family for such a deliciously healthy and hearty meal. Save the leftovers (if there are any) for lunch the next day. Just warm it up in the toaster oven.

Have you ever cooked with burdock root?

This post is linked to Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday