Lunch: Stuffed Eggplant with Israeli Couscous

Recipe by Kelly Senyei Switch up your side dish spread with a family favorite recipe for stuffed eggplant filled with toasted Israeli couscous and feta cheese.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Stuffed Eggplant with Israeli Couscous

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cup Israeli couscous, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 dried bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise then wrap them in Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Roast the eggplants until the centers are soft and tender, about 30 minutes. (Larger eggplants may require additional time to roast.) Unwrap the eggplants and scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges of each eggplant. Roughly chop the reserved pulp and set it aside.
Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute then add the couscous, allspice, bay leaves and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the mixture to a simmer, cover the saucepan and cook the couscous until it is tender and the liquid has absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Stir in the reserved eggplant, chopped parsley and feta cheese. Divide the couscous mixture evenly among the eggplants.
Arrange the stuffed eggplants on a foil-lined baking sheet and return them to the oven. Bake them, uncovered, until they are warmed throughout, about 5 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven, top them with pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.