I created some eggplant parmesan boats on The Kitchen recently and people really seemed to love them, so I thought, why not create an eggplant boat with a summery twist? The Mediterranean spices here taste just right on a steamy summer night.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon harissa, or more if desired
- 8 ounces ground chicken
- One 14.5-ounce can whole peeled or diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the oregano, salt, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Halve the eggplant, then use a paring knife to cut vertical and horizontal slits across the cut side, about 3/4-inch apart. (You want to create crosshatches across the whole surface without piercing through the skin on the other side.) Place the halves on the lined baking sheet.
- Spread each cut half with a tablespoon of olive oil, then split a heaping tablespoon of the spice mix between the two. Roast until the flesh is browned, tender and scoopable, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the harissa, ground chicken and the remaining spice mix (about 1 tablespoon). Cook the chicken, breaking it up so that it is in small pieces, until it is golden brown. Add the tomatoes and pine nuts. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick, at least 20 minutes.
- Remove the eggplant from the oven and use a fork to scoop out the cooked insides, leaving the skins intact. Stir the scooped eggplant flesh into the tomato mixture, then fill the eggplant boats with the mixture. Return the boats to the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbling, another 10 minutes.
- Mix the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl, using a little more water to loosen the sauce if desired.
- Remove the eggplant boats from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce, then sprinkle with the pine nuts and mint and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 582 |
| Total Fat | 39 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 102 mg |
| Sodium | 1750 mg |
Reviews
We make this all the ttime! The flavors are incredible!
Very tasty! I loved the spiciness from the harissa and the texture the pine nuts give to the dish. My yogurt sauce was too lemony and loose with the juice of one lemon so I’ll cut that back next time. Keeper recipe.
Absolutely great! If I HAD to critique something, I would suggest draining some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes so it didn’t take as long for the mixture to thicken up. This was such a mix of great flavors! Definitely a keeper!
Absolutely delicious. I cut the spices in half because I have issues…. I also used ground beef because that is what I had. Also I chopped up a fresh tomato from the garden added a bit of tomato paste out of the tube. I served it to a friend and told her she was a Guinea pig. She loved it too. Not sure what to serve with it so I just used garlic bread. I am heading out to get another eggplant. Making it again this weekend.
I made this tonight for my anniversary. It was delicious!
Saw this recipe while I was preparing my grocery shopping list earlier this week and prepared the meal this evening. I used turkey instead of chicken. It was super flavorful – easy to prep and easy to cook. I made the eggplant in the toaster oven as it was quite hot here and I didn’t want to put on the big oven. It was perfect. I did thin out the yogurt mixture with a bit of water as it was a bit thick – that makes it super easy to drizzle. Thank you – it’s a keeper!
Absolutely delicious! So much flavor! Followed the recipe except used ground turkey instead of chicken! Thank you Katie! Love your recipes!
This recipe was so bomb! The BEST Katie Lee recipe I have tried! I used ground turkey instead of the chicken and roasted chickpeas to substitute for the pine nuts (I am allergic to them). Everything was so delicious! It wasn’t overly spicy, just a hint. You can make it spicy with more harissa (I added some crushed red pepper flake). Perfect for a Mediterranean night. Just need a good glass of wine!
Made as directed except added 2 t. Of sugar to meat mixture and had some goat cheese I needed to use up and crumbled on top before final bake. My husband ate it up and put it on the ‘make again’ list. A healthy, satisfying keeper for sure! Don’t skip the pine nuts!
Made this today and it was delicious, flavors are beautifully balanced. I used a drop off honey in the yogurt sauce to quell the lemon a bit otherwise it’s great and easy to prepare!