Armenian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Millet and Apricots

Armenian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplants with Millet and Dried Apricots
Armenian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplants with Millet and Dried Apricots

I took my inspiration for these Armenian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplants with Millet and Dried Apricots from an Armenian soup called vospapour. It is a soup generally made with lentils, dried fruits, and walnuts, the perfect canvas for my juicy apricots. I decided to turn the soup into a stuffing for eggplant. So I went with millet for the consistency and let the flavors take form along the spice mixture, which includes cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, cumin, and turmeric. The addition of fresh pomegranate seeds, which are in season now, takes this dish to the next level!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it. Please tag @LivityGardens on Instagram and use the hashtag #LivityGardens.

For other recipes using pomegranate, check out this Squash and Bell Pepper Soup with Maple Pecans and Pomegranate and this Dates and Pine Nuts Couscous with Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Print

Armenian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Millet and Apricots

  • Author: Karine K
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup millet, cooked according to package directions
  • 8 small eggplants or 4 large ones
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups pureed tomatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ยฝ teaspoon allspice
  • ยฝ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup Fruit Blissยฎ apricots, chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • Garnishes: fresh cilantro and pomegranate seeds

Instructions

Cook the millet in water, according to package directions. Preheat your oven to 375หš. With a sharp-edged spoon, scoop out the flesh from the eggplants, leaving a ยผ inch shell. Place the eggplant shells into a large baking dish (you might need two), drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add about 1/8 inch of water at the bottom of the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for about 20-30 minutes, depending if you are using small or large eggplants. Remove from the oven, transfer eggplants to a plate and let cool. Chop the eggplant flesh into small cubes.

While the millet is cooking and the eggplant shells are roasting, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the pureed tomatoes, eggplant cubes, red bell pepper, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and spices, and mix well. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Add the cooked millet and the apricots. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Stuff the eggplant shells with the millet and apricot mixture, garnish with the cilantro and pomegranate seeds and serve. Bon appรฉtit!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us โ€” we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!


Print

Aubergines ร  l’armรฉnienne au millet et aux abricots

  • Author: Karine K
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 portions 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tasse de millet, cuit selon les directives sur l’emballage
  • 8 petites aubergines (ou 4 grosses)
  • 2 c. ร  soupe d’huile d’olive
  • 1 gros oignon, en dรฉs
  • 4 gousses d’ail, รฉmincรฉes
  • 2 tasses de tomates en purรฉes
  • 1 poivron rouge, en dรฉs
  • 1 c. ร  soupe de sirop d’รฉrable
  • 1 c. ร  soupe de vinaigre balsamique
  • 1 c. ร  thรฉ de cannelle moulue
  • ยฝ c. ร  thรฉ de piment de la Jamaรฏque moulu
  • ยฝ c. ร  thรฉ de cumin moulu
  • 1 c. ร  thรฉ de curcuma
  • ยฝ c. ร  thรฉ de poivre de cayenne
  • 1 tasse d’abricots sรฉchรฉs, hachรฉs
  • Sel de mer et poivre, au goรปt
  • Garnitures: coriandre fraรฎche et graines de grenade fraรฎches

Instructions

Cuire le millet selon les directives sur l’emballage. Prรฉchauffer le four ร  375หš. Avec une cuiller, retirer la chair des aubergines, en laissant une coquille d’environ 1/4 de pouce d’รฉpaisseur. Placer les coques d’aubergines dans un grand plat peu profond, allant au four. Arroser avec un peu d’huile d’olive, de sel de mer, et de poivre. Ajouter environ 1/8 de pouce d’eau dans le fond du plat et couvrir de papier aluminium. Mettre au four et cuire pendant 20 ร  30 minutes, selon la grosseur des aubergines. Retirer du four et placer sur une assiette pour laisser refroidir.

Pendant ce temps, hacher la chair d’aubergine en petits cubes. Chauffer l’huile d’olive dans une grande casserole ou une cocotte, ร  feu moyen. Ajouter l’oignon et cuire jusqu’ร  ce qu’il soit translucide, environ 4 ร  5 minutes. Ajouter l’ail et cuire une minute de plus. Ajouter les tomates, les cubes d’aubergine, le poivron rouge, le sirop d’รฉrable, le vinaigre balsamique, et les รฉpices et bien mรฉlanger. Porter ร  รฉbullition, couvrir, baisser le feu, et laisser mijoter pendant 30 minutes, ou jusqu’ร  ce que l’aubergine soit tendre. Ajouter le millet cuit et les abricots. Assaisonner au goรปt de sel de mer et de poivre. Farcir les aubergines avec le mรฉlange, garnir de coriandre fraรฎche et des graines de grenade fraรฎches et servir. Bon appรฉtit!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us โ€” we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Dried Plum and Onion Jam Crostini

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Dried Plum and Onion Jam Crostini
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Dried Plum and Onion Jam Crostini

You might as well skip dessert! With its caramel undertones and its upbeat presentation, this Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Dried Plum and Onion Jam Crostini is sure to be the talk of the buffet line. If you have leftover plum and onion jam, itโ€™s fabulous on toast the next day.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it. Please tag @LivityGardens on Instagram and use the hashtag #LivityGardens.

For other beautiful and festive recipes, check out this Armenian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Millet and Apricots and this Moroccan Carrot Salad.

Print

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Dried Plum and Onion Jam Crostini

  • Author: Karine K
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 4-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1โ€ cubes
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 large onion, sliced thin
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup dried plums, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ยผ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can coconut milk (keep some aside for garnish)
  • Slices of pumpernickel or baguette, toasted
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • To serve: toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh apple slices

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400หšF. Place the squash cubes in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet large enough so that the squash is in one layer. Place in the oven and roast for about 50-60 minutes or until the squash is tender and browned in spots. Turn and add the apples about halfway. Remove from the oven and reserve.

Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sautรฉ until very soft and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sautรฉ for one minute more. Add the allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and plums. Cook for one minute. Remove half the plum and onion mixture to the bowl of a small food processor, or blender and pulse until you get a jam consistency, about 2 minutes (You may also use a mortar and pestle or a hand=help mixer).

Add the vegetable broth and the roasted squash and apples to the soup pot. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Let the soup cool slightly and transfer to a blender. You might need to blend your soup in batches. When you are done, return the soup to the pot and thin with the coconut milk, making sure to keep about ยผ cup for garnish.

Spread the jam on the toasted pumpernickel or baguette slices. Serve with the soup. Bon appรฉtit!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us โ€” we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!


Print

Soupe butternut et pomme avec croutons ร  la compote de pruneaux et oignons

  • Author: Karine K
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 heure 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 34 minute
  • Yield: 6 portions 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 grosse courge butternut (environ 4 livres), pelรฉe et coupรฉe en cubes de 1 pouce
  • 2 pommes Granny Smith, รฉpรฉpinรฉes et coupรฉes en quartiers
  • 2 c. ร  soupe d’huile d’olive, plus 2 c. ร  thรฉ
  • 2 c. ร  soupe de sirop d’รฉrable
  • ยผ c. ร  thรฉ de poivre de cayenne
  • 1 gros oignon, tranchรฉ mince
  • 2 gousses d’ail, รฉmincรฉes
  • 1 tasse de pruneaux, hachรฉs
  • 1 c. ร  thรฉ de piment de la Jamaรฏque moulu
  • ยฝ c. ร  thรฉ de cannelle
  • ยผ c. ร  thรฉ de clou de girofle moulu
  • 5 tasses de bouillon de lรฉgumes
  • 1 boรฎte de lait de coconut (conserver un peu de lait pour la garniture)
  • Tranches de pain pumpernickel ou de baguette, rรดties
  • Sel de mer et poivre, au goรปt
  • Garnitures: graines de citrouille grillรฉes, tranches de pomme fraรฎches

Instructions

Prรฉchauffer le four ร  400หšF. Placer les cubes de courge dans un grand bol, ajouter 2 c. ร  soupe d’huile d’olive, le sirop d’รฉrable et le poivre de cayenne. Bien mรฉlanger. Transfรฉrer sur une tรดle ร  cuisson, prรฉalablement recouverte de papier parchemin, en une seule couche. Placer au four et cuire pendant environ 50 ร  60 minutes, jusqu’ร  ce que la courge soit tendre et caramรฉlisรฉe, en tournant les cubes et en ajoutant les tranches de pomme ร  mi-cuisson. Retirer du four et rรฉserver.

Chauffer les 2 c. ร  thรฉ d’huile d’olive dans une casserole ร  soupe ou une cocotte, ร  feu moyen. Ajouter l’oignon et faire revenir jusqu’ร  ce qu’il soit translucide, environ 5 ร  6 minutes. Ajouter l’ail et cuire une minute de plus. Ajouter le piment de la Jamaรฏque, la cannelle, le clou de girofle, et les pruneaux. Cuire pendant 2 minutes. Retirer la moitiรฉ du mรฉlange et pulser ร  l’aide d’un robot culinaire ou d’un mรฉlangeur jusqu’ร  l’obtention d’une confiture (vous pouvez aussi utiliser un mortier et pilon ou un mรฉlangeur ร  main).

Ajouter les cubes de courge et de pomme ร  la casserole. Assaisonner au goรปt de sel de mer et de poivre. Porter ร  รฉbullition, rรฉduire le feu et laisser mijoter 10 minutes. Laisser refroidir un peu avant de transfรฉrer dans un mรฉlangeur. Pulser et retourner dans la casserole. Ajouter le lait de coconut et conserver environ 1/4 de tasse pour la garniture.ย 

ร‰tendre la confiture sur les tranches de pain pumpernickel ou de baguette. Servir avec la soupe. Bon appรฉtit!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us โ€” we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!