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Jen Paleracio

Ingredients
  

  • 7 small Indian eggplants, halved (they're purple in color)
  • 1 cup cooked barley
  • 2 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon 21 seasoning salute
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Juice of one lemon
  • a handful of cilantro, for garnish
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Use a grapefruit spoon, scoop the meat of each eggplant, and set aside.
  • Drizzle the eggplant boats with 2 tablespoons oil, place them on the pan skin side up. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
  • Chop the eggplant meat. Heat a pan with the remaining oil, saute garlic and onion. Add tomatoes and eggplant, stir to mix. Season with smoked paprika, basil, 21 seasoning salute, salt, and pepper, stir to mix, cover, simmer for a minute or until the eggplant is tender. 
  • Add the barley and tomato paste, stir, add the lemon juice stir to mix well, cook until well heated. Remove from the heat. Fill each eggplant boat with the barley mixture. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.