This Stuffed Eggplant recipe makes a spotlight main dish or an unforgettable side dish with its sophisticated presentation, plus it’s filled with delicious cancer-fighting ingredients.
The polyphenols in eggplant have been shown to exhibit anti-cancer effects. Anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid function as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals and, in turn, preventing tumor growth and the invasion and spread of cancer cells. They also stimulate detoxifying enzymes within cells and promote cancer cell death.
Garlic boosts the production of hydrogen sulfide and researchers believe that is why garlic is so effective at preventing a wide variety of cancers including prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
Whether you refer to a tomato as a fruit or a vegetable, there is no doubt that a tomato is a nutrient-dense, super-food that most people should be eating more of. As an excellent source of vitamin C and other antioxidants, tomatoes can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer such as prostate and colorectal cancer.
Whip up this fun recipe and feel good about fighting cancer in your kitchen.
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
Ingredients
4 small eggplants
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons to brush the eggplants
2 medium size onions (halved and thinly sliced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
3 tomatoes (skinned and chopped)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley (minced)
1 green bell pepper (seeded and thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dry mint
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup water
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with oil or just use non-stick silicone baking mat.
3. Prepare your eggplants by cleaning the green leaves around the stem. Be careful not to chop off the stem. Once the green part around the stem comes out, it will reveal the white core. Then halve each eggplant lengthwise and make cuts on each half without cutting through the skin.
4. Mix olive oil, sea salt and dry mint and brush each eggplant with the mixture.
5. Arrange eggplant halves facing up on your baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplants soften.
6. In the meantime, sauté the onions and garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium size pan until soft and golden. Then add the tomatoes, parsley, bell pepper, coconut sugar, cumin, tomato paste and cook another 10 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F
8. Arrange baked eggplant halves in a large payrex and fill with the onion and tomato mixture. Add 1/2 cup water to the payer and bake for about 45 minutes.
9. Enjoy!
Recipe & Photo Credit: Sezin Hason, MindBodySoulBlog.com
