Denver Heart Doctors Present: Stuffed Eggplant Recipe and Nutritional Benefits

When you were younger, your mother probably always told you to eat your vegetables, including squash. As it turns out, it wasn’t solely to torture you. Squashes in general are fantastic sources of nutrients essential for your body’s function. Eggplants are no different, as they a good source of fiber, vitamin B1, B3, B6, K, copper, manganese, and potassium. Also, a fact that our heart doctors love to see, eggplants are very low in calories and have no saturated fats whatsoever. They are also abundant with antioxidants, which protect cells from free radical damage. While the taste of eggplant may not be for everyone, there’s no debate over their nutritional value. Here’s a recipe for stuffed eggplant, a delicious blend of rice and a protein carefully inserts into the interior of an eggplant.
Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ a pound of lean ground beef, or similar protein
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small diced onion
• 1 sliced red pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ a cup of parsley leaves
• ½ cup of chopped basil leaves
• 1 and ¼ cups of pecorino romano
• ¼ cup of bread crumbs
• 1 egg, or egg substitute
• 2 chopped tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, be sure to leave some of the fruit inside so that it maintains its shape. Boil the scooped-out fruit until it softens, should take between 10 and 12 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium sauté pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef or substituted protein with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned protein to the pan and cook it thoroughly. Drain the pan, removing the extra, unnecessary fat. Remove the beef (or any other protein of your choice) and chop so that there are no large chunks. In another medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions, peppers and garlic together.
In a bowl mix together the cooked eggplant core, vegetables, cooked protein, herbs, cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.
Fill the scooped-out eggplant shells with this mixture, dividing it evenly among the 2 halves.
Top both halves with the chopped tomatoes and  bake for 50 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool and your stuffed eggplants are ready to be served.
How To Use This Information
 The Denver heart doctors at South Denver Cardiology are well aware that we are what we eat. To maintain a happy and healthy heart, we try to find great recipes that taste good, and are good for your heart. Start trying some of our recipes and then come in for an appointment. You’ll be amazed at how much healthier your heart will be when you start eating right. Schedule an appointment with us today!
 

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South Denver Cardiology

Randy Cupps Graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, in 1983 with a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology. Randy started his medical career in 1980 as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working on an ambulance and in an emergency room. He then joined South Denver Cardiology in 1986 when it was South Denver Cardiac Rehabilitation as an Exercise Physiologist conducting a wide variety of Graded Exercise Testing on a diverse patient population. Randy continues to keep his EMT current, and he is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. In 2012 Randy acquired the role of business development, marketing, and physician relations manager at SDCA.

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