Stuffed Aubergine with Coriander Dressing

1 Aubergine
30ml Lemon juice
50g quick-cook couscous
6 sundried tomatoes
Mint sprigs
15ml pine nuts
1 Small onion

Coriander dressing:
1cm root ginger, grated
1 Garlic clove, peeled and crushed
150ml yoghurt
Lime Juice
2 tbsp fresh coriander

Cut the aubergine in half lengthways and score the cut sides deeply, but being careful not to damage the skins. Place the scoured side up on a baking tray. Rub with lemon juice and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake in the oven at 200c (400f) Gas 6 for 20-30 minutes until the flesh is soft and tender. To prepare the couscous, put it into a bowl and pour over 150ml of boiling water and leave to soak. Chop the sundried tomatoes, mint, pine nuts and onion, mix these all together in a bowl and season. Scoop the flesh from the cooked aubergine and chop finely, add the forked couscous to the chopped aubergine flesh and mix in the other ingredients. Spoon the filling into the aubergine shells and cook in the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Make the dressing by mixing together the ginger and garlic with the yoghurt, lime juice and coriander. Chill and spoon over the aubergines when ready.

 

Griddled Aubergine with Feta, Mint and Chilli

Makes 6-10 rolls

1 Aubergine, cut lengthways into thin slices (between 6-10 depending on size)
4 tbsp Olive Oil
125g feta cheese
Juice of ½ a lemon
A large handful of fresh mint , finely chopped
½ red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
Black pepper

Preheat the barbeque, griddle or grill to a high heat.

Brush both sides of the aubergine slices with the oil, cook them for about 2 minutes each side until golden and tender.

Crumble the feta into a bowl and stir in the chilli, mint and lemon juice and grind in some black pepper. Pile the end third of each warm aubergine slice with a heaped teaspoon of the feta mixture and roll each slice up to form a soft, stuffed bundle. Place join side down on a plate and sprinkle with a little more mint.

 

Chargrilled Aubergine

Serves 2-3 as a side dish

1 Aubergine, cut into 2.5 cm slices
4 tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
2 garlic Cloves
Juice of ½ a lemon
1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar
A handful of fresh mint and basil, chopped
½ red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

Heat a griddle pan until it is really hot, brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and griddle until soft in the middle, about 3 minutes each side.
Crush 1 garlic clove with a little salt, lemon juice, sherry vinegar and 2-3 tbsp olive oil to make a dressing. Thinly slice the remaining garlic cloves and cook in the leftover olive oil until just brown. Arrange the aubergine on a plate, pour over the dressing and scatter with the herbs, fired garlic and chilli.

 

Aubergine Bake

Serves 4

1 Aubergine, cut into 1 cm slices
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, peeled and sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 400g tin Organic chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
100g Mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the aubergine slices and simmer for 5 minutes, drain then pat dry with kitchen paper. Place the slices into a greased ovenproof dish.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Add the basil and season with pepper, then pour the sauce over the aubergines. Scatter slices of mozzarella on top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Aubergine,Tomato and Mozzarella Mountains

1 aubergine cut into 8 slices
2 large tomatoes cut into 8 slices
175g/6oz Buffalo Mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons green pesto,to serve
mints sprigs to garnish

Arrange the aubergine slices under a preheated grill and cook until browned on both sides.

Place 4 of the aubergine slices on a greased baking sheet. Put a tomato slice and a mozzarella slice on top of each one, then make a second layer of aubergine, tomato and mozzarella, sprinkling them with salt and pepper as you go. Skewer each stack with a cocktail stick to hold them together.

Place the stacks in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5 and cook for 10 minutes.

Transfer the stacks to individual serving plates and remove the cocktail sticks. Drizzle with a little olive oil and top with a generous spoonful of pesto. Serve warn or at room temperature and garnish with mint sprigs.

Baked Aubergines with Sweet and Sour Couscous

Serves 6

1 Aubergine
2 Lemons
120ml (4fl oz) extra virgin olive oil, plus a little for drizzling
250g (9oz) Couscous
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
6cm (2 ½”) piece ginger, peeled and grated
Zest and juice of 1 orange
200g (7oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, roughly chopped
20g each fresh mint and basil, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 190C, 375F or gas mark 5. Cut the top and bottom off the aubergine, cut in half lengthways and then flat side down, cut six thin slices lengthways from each half. Lay the slices in a single layer on two baking sheets lined with baking parchment. Mix the juice of one lemon with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and brush onto both sides of the aubergine slices, then season them well with salt and pepper. Bake for 7-10 mins until soft and cooked through. Once cooked, remove to a plate and set aside.

Meanwhile place the couscous in a large bowl. Bring 340ml (12 fl oz) of water to the boil with the remaining olive oil, the garlic, ginger and two teaspoons of salt. Pour over the couscous and leave for 10 mins, stirring frequently. Add the zest and juice of the second lemon, the zest and juice of the orange, the dried apricots, mint and basil. Stir well to combine and season to taste.

Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the couscous mixture onto one third of each aubergine slice and roll each up as tightly as you can. Serve on top of the remaining couscous, with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Aubergine stewed with Garlic

Serves 2-4

1head garlic
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Chilli flakes
300-400g aubergine cut into bite sized cubes
500ml Passata
¼ tsp salt

In a good sized heavy pan sauté the garlic in the oil. For maximum heat add the chilli flakes at the start of cooking. The longer they are in the oil the hotter the finished dish will be (these can be left out or put in at the end if you prefer).

Add the aubergine, passata and salt and simmer, covered, until the aubergine is tender but still in cubes.

Aubergine Parmigiana

30g plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 medium aubergine, peeled and cut crossways into ½” thick slices
1 organic egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
40g grated parmesan
150g mozzarella, sliced
Rich tomato pasta sauce

Combine the flour and salt. Dip the aubergine slices in the beaten egg and then in seasoned flour. Sauté the aubergine slices in hot oil in a large frying pan for 3 minutes each side, adding more oil if necessary. Drain slices well on paper towel.
Place half of the aubergine slices in a single layer in a greased baking dish, cutting slices to fit. Sprinkle with half the parmesan, half the tomato sauce and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layer again.
Bake uncovered in the oven at 200C/400f/Gas mark 6 for 15 to 20 minutes until browned and bubbling.

Aubergine Rolls stuffed with Feta and Mint

Serves 2-3

1 Aubergine
½ to 1 red Chilli, de-seeded and chopped
15g fresh mint, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
150g Feta cheese, crumbled

Slice the aubergine lengthways into 8 slices discard the outer 2 slices. Brush both sides of the slices with olive oil and cook on a hot barbeque or griddle pan for about 2 minutes on each side or until lightly coloured. Stack on a plate and cover with cling film.
Place the red chilli in a bowl with the mint , lemon juice and crumbled feta mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place a spoonful of the feta mixture on each slice of aubergine, roll up and secure with a cocktail stick. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with chopped mint and drizzled with olive oil.

Aubergine, Feta and Mint Salad

Serves 3-4 as a side dish

1 Aubergine, sliced fairly thinly
Olive Oil
150g Feta cheese, crumbled
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
Handful of mint leaves, shredded
Handful of coriander leaves, shredded
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7
Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting tray in a single layer. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning, until golden. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Arrange the aubergine slices on a serving plate. Scatter the crumbled feta over the top, along with the garlic, mint and coriander. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve.

Aubergine and Potato Cheesy Gratin

Serves 2-3

500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 4mm slices 2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional 1 onion, sliced
400g can chopped organic Italian tomatoes with herbs 1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Aubergine, trimmed and cut lengthways into ½ cm slices 60g Parmesan cheese, grated
500g pot low fat natural fromage frais 1 medium organic egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 200C, gas mark 6. Place the potatoes in pan of water and bring to the boil, cook for 5-7 minutes until almost tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened, then stir in the cinnamon and the chopped tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Season to taste.

Heat a griddle or frying pan, brush the aubergine slices with the remaining oil and cook for 2-3 minutes each side.

Arrange half the potato in a shallow ovenproof dish and place half the aubergine on top. Cover with the tomato sauce and half the cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes and aubergine.

Mix together the fromage frais and egg and then spoon over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.