Stuffed Eggplant with Potatoes, Red Bell Pepper and Greens

Adapted from Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook's recipe for "Stuffed Baby Aubergines"

Ingredients:

• Around 8 small baby eggplants, washed and slit through crosswise up to the stem which holds it together
• 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced fine
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced fine
• 3-4 baby potatoes, diced fine (if you are not using organic, then peel the potatoes as it is one of the dirty dozen)
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• About 1 cup of shredded greens (I used beet greens as I had them at hand, but feel free to use spinach, chard, kale, or anything else you fancy)
• Pinch salt
• Few springs of cilantro, chopped fine for garnish

Method:

Bake the eggplant:

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Brush the eggplant generously with olive oil on the outside and inside and bake for around 20 mins until eggplant is soft but not totally falling apart

Make the filling:

• Heat a pan and add about a tablespoon of olive oil
• Add the garlic
• When fragrant, in about a minute, add the red bell pepper
• After 2-3 minutes, add the potatoes and lower the heat and close with a lid
• Check if the potatoes are cooked after 5-6 mins and cook for around 5 mins more, if not
• Add the red pepper and stir
• Switch off the heat and add the shredded greens and salt and close with a lid and let it cool

Assemble the stuffed eggplant:

• When ready to assemble, use your fingers to carefully stuff the eggplant with the filling. (You may have some filling left over, and you can just serve it as a side)
• Drizzle with some more olive oil, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature