Baked Aubergine

Tom today,

I have been feeling rather uninspired lately, hence a lack of blogging. This recipe isn't really a reversal of that, it's not exactly an inspiring recipe, but a simple, healthy and low calorie one that you can make quickly after work without much brain function left (as I am now). I'm making these with some oven roasted new potatoes as well.

This makes two portions (with a bit of stuffing left over)

Ingredients:

1 Aubergine
1/4 Courgette
3 small Mushrooms
1/2 Red Pepper
Handful of Sugarsnap Peas
1/4 cup shredded Red Cabbage
1/2 an Onion
3 large cloves of Garlic
1 and 1/2 Cans Tomatoes
3 tbsp Red Lentils
1 tsp Bouillon
1 tsp Mixed Herbs, Thyme, Rosemary, Paprika
Salt and Papper to taste
6 small New Potatoes (approx 300g)
2 tsp Olive Oil
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Chop up and par-boil the new potatoes for 5 mins or so.
Halve the aubgergine.
Scoop out an inch of the aubergine flesh to make a well, save the flesh to use in the sauce.
Place upside down on a baking tray, toss the new potatoes in 1 tsp of oil, sprinkle salt on top and place next to the new potatoes.
Place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes while you make the stuffing.
Chop everything up (including the aubergine flesh).
Fry all the vegetables (everything except for the tomatoes, bouillon, lentils and herbs) in a deep frying pan until browned.
Add all the leftover stuff plus 200ml of boiling water.
Simmer and reduce until the sauce is thick.
Take out the aubergines and give the potatoes a quick shake around.
Flip the aubergine over and fill with the sauce, place back in the oven for cook for another ten to fifteen minutes.
Wash-up, tidy, wipe down and generally do everything that you need too.
When the potatoes are browned and the stuffed aubergine is crispy round the edges, plate up with a small portion of salad.
Serve and enjoy!

I like my stuffed aubergine to be more like a sauce, but that's just personal preference so feel free to reduce the amount of tomatoes (and water) as you like. This works with literally any vegetables, these are just ones I generally have in the fridge.

This is also very easily adapted to suit your tastes, and works with a wide variety of vegetables (I often do this with butternut squash as well!)

As always, we love to hear your comments and ideas, email them to us at twocooksoneblog@gmail.com

Soon to come: Pad Thai!

For the Baked Aubergine (calculated using www.myfitnesspal.com):


                      Calories   Carbs     Fat     Protein     Sodium     Sugar
          Total:     105          16        3           4            377           8

The potatoes add another 225 calories, plus say 12 for a small salad giving a very nice total of 341 calories for this quite filling meal!