Quinoa, Mushroom, Kale Stuffed Eggplant x Beet Hummus x Crispy Chickpeas

It doesn’t get much more fall than this combo. Grains aren’t a huge part of my diet – mostly because I’d rather fill up on nutritious produce – but I do crave them from time to time. And while quinoa is technically a seed, it does fill the role quite well. Packed with kale, a nutrient powerhouse, and portobello mushrooms for some meatiness & a dose of selenium. Then stuffed in roasted eggplant – often shunned as a nightshade, eggplant actually has the ability to thin our blood to promote better blood flow to the liver & also helps increase the bioavailability of vitamin C (aka. It promotes immunity). 

I give you permission to make these for no other reason than as a vehicle for the beet hummus. It’s drool-worthy. It’s amazing how flavorful it is with so few ingredients. Plus it has the slew of benefits from the raw garlic & the antioxidants from the beets. You can use leftovers on a crudites tray or as a topping on a salad (my favorite).

Topped with crispy chickpeas, there is definitely no lack of flavor & texture here. This would be a great dish to bring for a holiday party. Just pop it in the oven to reheat & then top with the hummus & chickpeas once ready to serve. Garnish with parsley & fresh lemon juice & watch jaws drop. Leftover chickpeas can be stored in a container in the fridge for about a week. Just place under the broiler for a couple minutes to re-crisp. (Amazing on a salad or as a snack on their own!) 

I do recommend making the hummus & crispy chickpeas the day prior so you aren’t overwhelmed trying to do too many things at once. You can even make the quinoa filling beforehand & then just make the eggplant on the day of. Orrr, to make things even easier, you can make the stuffed eggplants entirely the day prior, and then just save the last 15 minutes in the oven for right before serving dinner.

All said & done, this dish is gorgeous, flavorful, & nutritious. It’s vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and Medical Medium compliant. Which means it can be enjoyed by all!

Crispy Chickpeas:

• 1 can of chickpeas (I use Trader Joe’s organic), rinsed & dried out as much as possible (ideally you dry them in a paper-towel lined bowl in the fridge for a couple days. If you need to speed it up, just dry them best you can but know they won’t crisp as nicely.)

• sea salt

• fresh ground black pepper 

• Cumin

• Smoked paprika

• Cayenne

• Avocado oil

Preheat oven to 400. Spread the dried out chickpeas on a sheet pan & massage with about 1 tbsp avocado oil. Sprinkle with a mix of cumin (about ½ tsp), smoked paprika (about 1/2 tsp), cayenne (just a pinch), salt (about ½ tsp), and pepper (just a pinch). Don’t get exact with seasoning – use your intuition! You can always add extra after they bake & you taste test.

Roast for about 20 minutes, check often & stir so they don’t burn. (If you want to go oil free you could just use a little lemon juice to coat.) You’ll know they’re done when they’re impossibly crunchy & golden brown.

Beet Hummus:

• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled & roughly minced

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 4 steamed beets (you can buy these pre-packaged in the Trader Joe’s produce section in a box near the greens. Or you can make your own)

• ¼ c unsalted tahini (I use Trader Joe’s organic)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• cumin, salt, pepper

To blender, add the can of chickpeas, beets, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, olive oil, a few shakes of cumin, s+p to taste. Blend it up until light & fluffy. You can also add a little warm filtered water if you want to thin it out a bit more.

Stuffed Eggplant:

yields about 2-3 servings
takes about 1 hour total

• 2 eggplants

• 1 c quinoa (I prefer tricolor, organic) – always rinse before use

• 2 c vegetable stock (I like Trader Joe’s Hearty Organic)

• 1 head of kale, stems removed & torn into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups) 

• 1 pint of cremini mushrooms (or portobello), brushed clean & roughly chopped fine

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled & minced

• sea salt

• fresh ground black pepper 

• Cumin

• Smoked paprika

• Cayenne

• Avocado oil

Preheat oven to 400. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise & score the flesh with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. Salt liberally & let sit for 20+ minutes (the longer the better, to leech the water out).

In the meantime, prepare the filling. Combine the rinsed quinoa & vegetable stock in a small saucepan. I like to add some salt here so that it incorporates into the quinoa as it cooks & gives it more flavor. Cover & bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer & cook about 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Taste & add salt & pepper as needed.

Pat the eggplants dry & place on a sheet pan. Drizzle lightly with avocado oil & massage. Sprinkle with salt (probably won’t need a ton) & pepper, roast cut-side down for about 30 minutes or until flesh is soft enough to scoop out. Once cooked, let sit & cool.

Chop the kale roughly into bite size pieces. Heat a touch of oil (less is more) in a large pan over medium heat, add the garlic & mushrooms. Sauté for a couple minutes until soft. Add the kale. You can also add a little veggie stock to the pan if any sticking happens. Give it a good bit of salt. Mix & let wilt down – should only take a couple minutes. Add to the pot with the quinoa.

Once the eggplant is cool, scoop out the flesh leaving about ½ inch of flesh around the border – make sure to keep the skin in tact. Add the flesh to the quinoa mix if you wish, or you can set aside for another recipe (great for baba ghanoush!). Mix up the quinoa stuffing & add any necessary last seasonings to taste. Scoop into the hollowed out eggplant skins & place back in the oven for about 15 minutes allow all the flavors to meld before serving.

To serve: top with the beet hummus & crispy chickpeas (recipes below). Also great with some fresh parsley & lemon juice.