Preparation Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Halve the peppers and remove the seeds, halve the aubergine and quarter the onion (unpeeled). Halve the zucchini lengthways.
In the original recipe, the author uses 4 round zucchini. We chose the alternative given, two regular, long zucchini. In the case of round zucchini, cut off about 1/3 of each as a lid.
Pre-bake vegetables Place the vegetables on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn on the oven.
In the original recipe, the author also drizzles the vegetables with olive oil and greases the zucchini.
For the filling Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Peel the peppers and onions and cut into thin strips, roughly dice the eggplant.
Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the baked vegetables (except the zucchini) and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and simmer for 5-15 minutes.
The author lets the vegetables simmer for 15 minutes, but less is also sufficient.
finishing In the meantime, remove the flesh and seeds from the baked zucchini. You can discard the seeds and add the flesh to the rest of the filling. Season the vegetables in the pot with salt and pepper and then fill the zucchinis with them and close each one with the cut-off lid.
Put any leftover filling to one side. Place the zucchini on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes (a little longer depending on the thickness of the zucchini) at 180 °C.
The zucchini should be soft, but still retain its shape.
Serve If you have any leftover filling, heat it up briefly and serve it with the finished dish. You can serve the stuffed zucchini as it is for a light dish, or serve it with quinoa or rice for a more filling dish.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
For the stuffed zucchini with eggplant, peppers and tomatoes, first prepare the vegetables separately and then bake them together in the oven.
Portion size: The author has not specified a portion size. We have set this at 4 people for a light main course. To make the dish more filling, side dishes are suitable (see "Alternative preparation").
Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion covers far more than 100% of the average daily requirement of vitamin C and about 50% of that of folic acid, potassium and vitamin B6. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 3:1, which is significantly below the maximum recommended ratio of 5:1. However, the heating during cooking and baking causes the vegetables to lose some of their nutrients. Since the nutrient profile refers to the uncooked ingredients, the values are actually somewhat lower.
Zucchini: Zucchini is versatile in terms of its uses (it can also be eaten raw). In addition to the classic green zucchini, which is available in both long and round shapes, yellow zucchini is also increasingly available. In terms of taste, however, they are almost identical. Zucchini is easy to digest, low in calories and rich in vitamins. For this recipe, the round version is the best option purely from an optical point of view.
Eggplants: Eggplants are a subtropical plant species of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). There are various types that differ in shape and color. The most common varieties available in Europe and North America are elongated and have a dark purple color. The raw fruit has a slightly bitter taste with a somewhat astringent quality. When cooked, however, it has a tender consistency.
Red onion: Red onions are edible onions just like yellow and white onions. However, their skin is much thinner than that of light varieties and their taste is finer and somewhat milder.
Bell peppers: The most commonly used variety of bell pepper in Europe and the USA is the sweet pepper ( Capsicum annuum). Most varieties change colour from green to red, yellow or orange during the ripening process, depending on the carotenoids present. This is because chlorophyll, the green leaf pigment that is crucial for photosynthesis, decreases while the coloured carotenoid pigments appear. Green bell peppers therefore often have a more distinctive flavour than ripe red and yellow bell peppers, although the latter tend to taste a little sweeter.
Tips
Zucchini: Zucchini should not be stored near apples, tomatoes and other climacteric fruits. The ripening gas ethylene secreted by them causes the zucchini to ripen and spoil quickly. Bitter-tasting zucchini should not be eaten. Bitter spots can be a sign that the zucchini contains poisonous bitter substances (cucurbitacins) that attack the stomach and intestinal mucosa. When growing your own zucchini, you should also be aware that backcrossing home-grown seeds or crossing them with other pumpkin plants can result in an increased content of poisonous bitter substances.
Baked zucchini: Baking very large zucchini causes the zucchini skin to harden, which is why you can leave it out when eating. However, since the flesh comes off very easily, this is quite possible. Overall, baking the large zucchini gives it a taste and texture that is reminiscent of pumpkin or sweet potato.
Alternate preparation
Side dish: Prepared this way, the dish is a light meal. However, if you serve it with quinoa or rice, for example, you get a filling meal.
Seasoning: If you like it stronger, you can season the zucchini even more strongly with the spices listed or rub the zucchini with garlic before filling it. Chili also goes very well with this dish.
Reduce oil: We have reduced the amount of oil as much as possible (from several tablespoons to 1 tablespoon for 4 portions). This allowed us to keep the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids below the maximum recommended ratio of 5:1. You can find more information on this topic at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors.
Replace canned ingredients with fresh ingredients: This recipe uses canned tomatoes, which means that the preparation time is quite short. It is always preferable to use unprocessed ingredients. If you have a little more time, it is advisable to use fresh tomatoes.
