The eggplants stuffed with quinoa, mushrooms, sausage, and olives are a rich and tasty main course.
Quinoa is a plant-based food made from the seeds of a plant native to South America, where it has been historically used by local ethnic groups as a primary source of sustenance.
It is not a true cereal, as compared to most cereals, quinoa contains more protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Moreover, it is gluten-free, making it suitable for the diet of celiacs.
Quinoa is extremely versatile, allowing you to stuff vegetables, as in the case of these eggplants, or create mixtures for veggie burgers and patties.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 368.06 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.25 (g) of which sugars 11.44 (g)
- Proteins 11.44 (g)
- Fat 22.07 (g) of which saturated 2.50 (g)of which unsaturated 2.47 (g)
- Fibers 12.05 (g)
- Sodium 1,369.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Eggplants Stuffed with Quinoa
- 2 black oval eggplants
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 3.5 oz champignon mushrooms
- 3.5 oz sausage
- 2 tbsp salted capers
- 1 carrot
- 1/4 cup taggiasca olives (pitted)
- 3.5 tbsp red wine
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz tomato sauce
- 1 sprig thyme
- to taste salt
Preparation of the Eggplants Stuffed with Quinoa
To prepare the eggplants stuffed with quinoa, first wash the eggplants and cut them in half without removing the stem. Score the flesh with the tip of a knife in cross cuts and season with a drizzle of EVO oil and a pinch of salt.
Bake the eggplants in a preheated oven, in static mode, at 340°F for about 40 minutes, until the flesh is tender.
In the meantime, prepare the filling.
Cook the quinoa following the instructions on the package, wash and peel the carrots, cut them into rather small cubes and sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of EVO oil and a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Then add the cleaned and sliced champignon mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove the casing from the sausage and crumble it with your hands, then add it to the pan with the carrots and mushrooms. Brown the sausage, turning it well, then deglaze with the red wine and let it evaporate.
Desalt the capers by soaking them in cold water, then add them to the rest of the ingredients in the pan along with the olives. Let the flavors blend for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and set aside.
When the eggplants are cooked, take them out of the oven and hollow them out with the help of a spoon, cut the flesh into small pieces with a knife and place it in a bowl. Also add the contents of the pan and the boiled and well-drained quinoa to the bowl.
Mix everything and stuff the eggplants with this mixture, then grill them in the oven for a few minutes.
In the meantime, heat the tomato sauce in a pan with a drizzle of EVO oil, salt, and thyme. Cook for a few minutes, then take the quinoa-stuffed eggplants out of the oven and serve them accompanied by the tomato sauce.
