Stuffed Thai Eggplants with Sweet Potato Leaves and Brown Rice

Ingredients:

• 8-10 Thai eggplants, cored and hollowed out.  Dice and reserve the pulp.
• 15-20 sweet potato leaves, diced into small pieces
• 3 tbls extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb ground grass fed beef
• 1/2 white onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, skins removed and diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
• 1/2 tsp spanish paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbls red wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup brown jasmine or basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
• 1 piece of bread, fried in olive oil

Method

1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent.
3. Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown.
4. Once the beef has browned, add the eggplant pulp, sweet potato leaves and diced tomatoes.
5. With a wooden spoon, break down the tomatoes until a sauce has formed.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
7. Add the spanish paprika, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat.

   Filling the eggplants

9. Spread 1 cup of brown rice to the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
10. Fill each Thai eggplant with the meat mixture, until overflowing and add each one to the ovenproof dish on top of the rice.
11. Once all of the eggplants have been filled, add any additional meat to the top of the eggplants.
12. Add 2 cups of chicken broth to the rice in the dish.

    The topping

13. Fry one piece of bread in olive oil and brown on both sides.
14. In a food processor, blend the bread and one piece of garlic.
15. Top the bread crumble on top of the eggplant

    

    Bake

16. Cover and bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until the rice has cooked through.