Ingredients
Directions
Roast the aubergine: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, place aubergine in a baking dish and coat it with olive oil (reserving 1 tablespoon for filling) and a pinch of salt. Roast for 30 minutes.
As the aubergine is roasting, toast the pita: Toss the pita pieces with the garlic, shallots, and thyme, and then spread out on a nonstick baking sheet. Put the sheet on the top shelf of the oven until the pita is crisp and starts to turn golden, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the filling: To a large pan add the reserved olive oil and onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add the zucchini and sauté until cooked through and most of the moisture has been released, another 5 minutes.
Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, optional cayenne, and tomatoes to the vegetables and reduce to a simmer. Cook with the lid on for 10–15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
Once the aubergine is done, remove it from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before gently removing the flesh. Set aside to add to the filling in Step 7.
Make the topping: In a food processor, pulse the toasted pita mixture until you have rough breadcrumbs. Empty into a bowl and mix with the 3 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice.
Finish making the filling: Add the aubergine flesh, mint, and cilantro to the veggie-tomato mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick.
Spoon the filling into the shells and sprinkle with the breadcrumb topping. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
Serve aubergine boats with a fresh green salad, and enjoy!
Chef's Notes
Substitutions
Reduce the amount of oil to 1–2 tablespoons split between the eggplant and breadcrumbs, or skip it altogether for an oil-free version. In place of olive oil, you can try avocado oil.
In place of toasted cumin and coriander seeds, use ¼–½ teaspoon ground cumin and ground coriander.
In place of cilantro use parsley.
In place of mint try basil or dill.
In place of pita, use a blend of almond meal and quinoa for an alternative breadcrumb topping. See below for directions and other substitutions.
Directions for Alternative Breadcrumb Topping
To a heated pan on medium heat add ⅓ cup almond meal, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 minced shallot. Stir continuously until the almond meal begins to brown, about 5 minutes. If you notice the almond meal is sticking to the pan, reduce the heat and keep stirring. Once the almond meal has toasted, add ⅓ cup of cooked quinoa and continue to stir. You may hear a crackling sound which is the remaining moisture from the quinoa. Keep stirring until the crackling sound dies down. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos, and toast for about a minute or two. Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Transfer to a dish and set aside.
Substitutions
In place of almond meal try ground sunflower seeds.
In place of quinoa try crumbled chickpeas.
Storage
Store aubergine boats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
Directions
Roast the aubergine: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, place aubergine in a baking dish and coat it with olive oil (reserving 1 tablespoon for filling) and a pinch of salt. Roast for 30 minutes.
As the aubergine is roasting, toast the pita: Toss the pita pieces with the garlic, shallots, and thyme, and then spread out on a nonstick baking sheet. Put the sheet on the top shelf of the oven until the pita is crisp and starts to turn golden, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the filling: To a large pan add the reserved olive oil and onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add the zucchini and sauté until cooked through and most of the moisture has been released, another 5 minutes.
Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, optional cayenne, and tomatoes to the vegetables and reduce to a simmer. Cook with the lid on for 10–15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
Once the aubergine is done, remove it from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before gently removing the flesh. Set aside to add to the filling in Step 7.
Make the topping: In a food processor, pulse the toasted pita mixture until you have rough breadcrumbs. Empty into a bowl and mix with the 3 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice.
Finish making the filling: Add the aubergine flesh, mint, and cilantro to the veggie-tomato mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick.
Spoon the filling into the shells and sprinkle with the breadcrumb topping. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
Serve aubergine boats with a fresh green salad, and enjoy!