Healthy Food for Two: Succulent Ayurveda-guided eggplant appetizers Williston Observer

By Ania Robertson

For five thousand years, Ayurvedic practitioners have been observing the effect of food on people. Each person has their own constitution and should eat according to guidelines that bring each individual towards their own personal healthy balance.

It’s an Ayurvedic saying that, “Anything can be medicine and anything can be poison, you just have to know how to prepare it.” This reminds us that the unique qualities of different foods can be adjusted with the proper food combinations, spices and correct preparation.

Eggplant is slightly alkaline, astringent and bitter in taste. It is an excellent source of digestion-supportive dietary fiber that helps detoxify the colon. Also, eggplant is a good source of a bone-building vitamin K, magnesium, and manganese, heart-healthy potassium, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and niacin. Eggplant is high in oxalic acid, which causes the formation of calcium oxalate crystals, so it should not be eaten by those with kidney or gallstone problems.

Baked stuffed eggplant

1/4 cup millet

1/2 + 1/8 cup water for cooking millet

1 small eggplant, about 7 inches long

2 teaspoons safflower oil

2 tablespoons goat cheese

4 teaspoons tomato paste

4 tablespoons onion, diced

1 big garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin, powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook millet following instructions on the package. Preheat oven to 360 degrees F. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving about 1/8 inch thick shell. Chop the pulp and save.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, eggplant pulp, cumin and garlic; sauté until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cooked millet, cheese, tomato paste, oregano, pepper and salt.

Spoon half of the eggplant stuffing into each saved shell. Place shells in a small pan lined in parchment paper.

Bake until shells are tender, about 25 minutes.

Ania Robertson is a certified life coach with additional certification in Ayurveda and Feng Shui.

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