Eggplant Boats with Yogurt
Stuffed with lean ground beef, eggplant flesh, onions and tomato sauce, this low carb recipe is a hearty and satisfying meal you’ll want to serve over and over again.
Servings 6 pieces
Ingredients
For the Eggplant Boats:
- 3 eggplants
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Sprinkle of salt
For the Filling:
- ½ lb extra lean ground beef
- 1 onion
- Eggplant flesh
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1-1.5 tsp salt more per preference
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup tomato sauce
For the Yogurt Sauce:
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1-2 garlic cloves crushed
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp salt
For the Garnish:
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 370F
- Trim the ends off the eggplant and peel them only every other stripe (don't peel all of it). You should end up with a "zebra" pattern.
- Cut them in half length wise and using a teaspoon scoop out the flesh, leaving about ¼ inch thickness.
- Sprinkle them with salt and massage them with the olive oil.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, placing them cut side up.
- Make the filling by finely dicing the onion and softening in the olive oil.
- Once onions are soft, add the beef and brown for a few minutes.
- Chop up the eggplant flesh and add to the pan along with all the spices and tomato sauce. Cook until eggplant is soft and meat is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust.
- Spoon the mixture into each eggplant boat and pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Mix all the yogurt sauce ingredients together, using room temperature yogurt.
- Toast the almonds/pine nuts in a tsp olive oil until golden.
- Finely chop up the parsley.
- Assemble by adding the yogurt sauce over each boat and garnish with parsley and almonds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don't like a strong garlic flavor in the yogurt sauce, use only 1 clove or use garlic powder.