Ultimate Stuffed Aubergines!
I’m never going to be a vegan, let’s face it. I love eggs and cheese too much. But we’re loving a way more veggie January here @A_Year_In_My_Kitchen and of course, if you’re giving it the full Veganuary, just substitute some vegan cheese in for the topping. In terms of timing, I’ve slow roasted the tomatos, onions, pepper and garlic for a fuller flavor, but you could make a simpler ratatouille if you have less time. But if you can get, the veg in the oven a good hour or so before you need them, with a good glug of olive oil and some seasoning. It’s worth it!
Serves 2 hungry people. Serve with a large portion of steamed greens.
Ingredients:
4 ripe tomatoes
1 red pepper
I small red or white onion
2 fat cloves of garlic
Olive oil
1 large aubergine
1 handful of breadcrumbs
½ can red kidney beans
1 small squirt tomato paste
grating of cheese to top
Turn your oven on to 180 degrees. Halve the tomatoes, quarter the pepper and onion, bruise the garlic cloves and then lay them all out on a baking sheet. Season and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the over for about 10 minutes then turn the oven right down to about 125 and then leave for as long as you have.
Have the aubergine lengthways leaving the leafy bit in tact. Score the flesh on both sides and then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently grill them, or if you don’t have a separate grill, put them in the oven too, they will be delicious.
When you’re ready to go, warm up some olive oil in a wide frying pan. Scrape out the flesh from the aubergines, leaving the skins in tact, and add the flesh to the pan. Take your slow cooking tomatoes and onions out of the oven and add everything, juices and all to the pan. Squeeze out the garlic cloves and discard the skins. Add half a can of red kidney beans and a squirt of tomato paste if you want to. Gently mix and bring up to heat. Check your seasoning.
Put the aubergine shells on a baking tray and gently add spoonfuls of the mixture to them. You can pile it up as the mixture will hold. Grate some Cheddar cheese and then mix the bread crumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on top of the now stuffed aubergines. Having turned the oven back up, place the baking sheet back in and cook til crispy on top.
Serve with a lamb chop, some salad, wilted greens – or anything you like really! Enjoy x