Stuffed Eggplants with Quinoa and Pomegranate Seeds

Ingredients

• 150 g quinoa
• Salt
• 1 onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 0.5 stalk celery
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Eggplants
• 50 g spinach (1 handful)
• 100 g almond flakes
• Pepper
• 0.5 tsp harissa (spice blend)
• 150 g feta (45% fat in whole milk)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 50 g Heavy cream
• 10 g parsley (0.5 bunch)
• 45 g Pomegranate seeds (3 tbsp)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse quinoa and cook it with 2.5 times the amount of salted water until al dente, about 15 minutes.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile peel and finely dice onion and garlic. Clean, wash and cube celery. Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, garlic and celery for 2 minutes over medium heat.

3. 3.

   Clean, wash and halve eggplants lengthwise; scoop out the flesh and chop it. Wash spinach, dry and roughly chop. Toast almond flakes in a hot pan without fat for 3 minutes over medium heat until golden brown.

4. 4.

   Mix half of the toasted almonds with the chopped eggplant flesh, spinach, onion, garlic and celery into the quinoa. Season with salt, pepper and harissa. Fill the eggplant halves with this mixture and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan‑forced) for 25 minutes.

5. 5.

   Meanwhile whisk feta with lemon juice and heavy cream until creamy. Wash, dry and roughly chop parsley. Spread the feta cream over the baked eggplants and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, remaining almond flakes and parsley.