Gaby
Eggplant is high in plant protein and dietary fiber. Right now, eggplants have especially tender flesh—without large seeds or bitterness. It’s the perfect time to make this dish.
Baked Eggplants with Cheese
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, 100 g hard cheese, 20 g butter, 1 onion, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon sour cream, parsley, breadcrumbs, ground black pepper, ground red pepper.
To avoid bitterness in eggplants, choose young fruits that are not fully ripe; they should have no brown seeds. Otherwise, soak the cut eggplants in salt water during preparation to remove the bitter alkaloid solanine. There are two ways to do this: 1) sprinkle salt on the cut eggplants, mix, and let them sit for half an hour to release their juices, which contain the bitterness; 2) soak the cut eggplants in a salt solution for the same amount of time (dissolve salt in water).
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out some of the flesh with a spoon and mix it with grated cheese, breadcrumbs, and milk. Drizzle with oil, add spices and salt, and mix everything with the egg, chopped onion, and parsley. Fill the eggplant halves with this mixture and bake them in a greased dish, topping them with sour cream. If desired, serve garnished with fresh herbs and minced garlic.
Life Hack
To prevent eggplants from falling apart during baking, don’t peel them or remove the seeds. This preserves both their shape and their nutrients, because the skin contains the anthocyanin nasunin, which helps protect brain cells from free-radical damage.
