Eggplant Filled w/ Swiss Chard & Lentils

Eggplant Filled w/ Swiss Chard & Lentils

From the Australian Women’s Weekly Gluten-Free Cooking Booklet, this delicious recipe is so tasty it can also be made dairy free if you leave out the mozzarella - you won’t feel deprived. Serve with brown basmati rice and a salad as vegetarian entrée, or with grilled meat or fish.
This recipe makes 4 entrée servings and 8 side dish servings.

Ingredients:
4 medium eggplants
1 ½ cups brown lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large brown onion, chopped coarsely
1 clove garlic, crushed
400 g can of tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
500 g Swiss chard, trimmed
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
1 ¼ cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Halve the eggplants lengthways; place in oiled baking dish.
Bake uncovered in a very hot oven for 15 minutes or until just tender.
Scoop out the flesh from the eggplants leaving a half an inch shell; chop the flesh coarsely.
Add the lentils to a medium saucepan of boiling water; boil uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until tender, drain.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan; cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until onion is soft.
Add the eggplant flesh, lentils, un-drained crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and coarsely chopped Swiss chard; cook, stirring until chard is just wilted. 
Stir in cilantro.
Divide the lentil mixture among the eggplant shells; sprinkle with cheese.

The following nutritional analysis is based on 1 entree size serving (recipe makes 4 entree servings)

Nutritional information provided by www.menucalc.com