This is quite possibly the best flavour combination out there.
I was reminded of it while perusing an old copy of Jamie's Italy. In it he offers a handful of ideas for bruschetta. Aubergine and mint jumped off the page.
But the duo isn't just for bruschetta, it's for life. And it is best in its simplest form. I made this on Monday and I'll make it again tonight.
Roasted aubergines with minted yogurt
(serves 2)
2 medium aubergines, halved lengthwise
Olive oil spray
Pinch of sea salt
2 tsp harissa
75g fat-free yogurt (like Total 0)
Big handful of mint, chopped
Preheat the oven to 200C. Sprinkle the aubergines with salt and a couple sprays of olive oil. Roast, flesh side up, for 45 minutes on a foil-lined baking tray.
While they're cooking, prepare the yogurt by mixing the yogurt with the mint. Use your fork to release as nmuch of the aroma from the herb as possible.
Remove the aubergines from the oven. Smear a bit of harissa atop the aubergines and serve with the yogurt.
Calories: less than 200 per serving. Perfect for a really light meal. But if you need something more substantial, this would go really well with grilled chicken - the yogurt would help keep the chicken from drying out the meal.
Showing posts with label roasted aubergine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roasted aubergine. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Saturday, 16 August 2008
on roasted aubergines
Yes, it's an ode of sorts. A dedication. Or something like that. Aubergines (or eggplants as we also call them) have become a bit of an obsession of mine. How are they so good? I don't know, but they are. There's something so fantastically earthy about them, and when roasted simply, with just a bit of salt to pull out the bitter juices, they can't be beat. Roasted aubergine puree makes a great mezze and is a fantastic addition to my favourite homemade curry.
But my favourite weeknight meal has got to be an aubergine, sliced lengthways, topped with homemade coriander pesto and a bit of feta. (I've made it nine times in a month, if that's any indication of my passion.)
Roasted aubergine with coriander pesto and feta
(serves 2)
2 aubergines, sliced lengthways
100g reduced fat feta
for the coriander pesto:
2 handfuls of coriander pesto, chopped
25 g pine nuts
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped fine
2 tsp olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
freshly ground pepper
To make the pesto: combine all of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar and beat to a fine paste.( This will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week, so can be made before.)
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Salt the aubergines and allow the bitter juices to be drawn out. Rinse and top with _ of the pesto. Place in a foil lined baking tin and roast for 45 minutes.
With about 15 minutes left, top with the feta (25g per half) and the rest of the pesto. The cheese will soften in those last 10 minutes.
With the last 10 minutes to go, prepare any side veggies you may want to serve - green beans or a tomato salad would work really well.
Other combinations? Mozzarella works well - and you could always use plain basil pesto. But there's something about the fiery chilli, zingy coriander and earthy pine nuts that bring out the best in the royal purple aubergine.
But my favourite weeknight meal has got to be an aubergine, sliced lengthways, topped with homemade coriander pesto and a bit of feta. (I've made it nine times in a month, if that's any indication of my passion.)
Roasted aubergine with coriander pesto and feta
(serves 2)
2 aubergines, sliced lengthways
100g reduced fat feta
for the coriander pesto:
2 handfuls of coriander pesto, chopped
25 g pine nuts
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped fine
2 tsp olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
freshly ground pepper
To make the pesto: combine all of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar and beat to a fine paste.( This will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week, so can be made before.)
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Salt the aubergines and allow the bitter juices to be drawn out. Rinse and top with _ of the pesto. Place in a foil lined baking tin and roast for 45 minutes.
With about 15 minutes left, top with the feta (25g per half) and the rest of the pesto. The cheese will soften in those last 10 minutes.
With the last 10 minutes to go, prepare any side veggies you may want to serve - green beans or a tomato salad would work really well.
Other combinations? Mozzarella works well - and you could always use plain basil pesto. But there's something about the fiery chilli, zingy coriander and earthy pine nuts that bring out the best in the royal purple aubergine.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
mini-mezze
Tonight it was wine tasting night - pinot noir at that. After interviewing six excellent wines, I came to the professional decision that the most expensive one was the best. Brilliance, I tell you.
But after such lovely wines, nothing but the best produce would do. I wasn't in the mood to cook much of anything, but seeing as I've rededicated myself to simple food at home, I dutifully headed home for dinner.
I went straight for the veggies: namely, aubergine and courgette. These soft, delicate vegetables are getting better by the day.
Simple preparation serves these vegetables best: roast the halved aubergine with a few sprays of olive oil, and finely chop the courgette and mix with fat-free yogurt. Once the aubergine is ready, spread a thin film of harissa over the flesh. Serve together.
I'd be happy (I have been happy) to serve these two as part of a larger mezze - but not tonight. And luckily I didn't have to cook for anyone else - while I was busy elegantly tasting wines, my husband was tucking into a kebab.
But after such lovely wines, nothing but the best produce would do. I wasn't in the mood to cook much of anything, but seeing as I've rededicated myself to simple food at home, I dutifully headed home for dinner.
I went straight for the veggies: namely, aubergine and courgette. These soft, delicate vegetables are getting better by the day.
Simple preparation serves these vegetables best: roast the halved aubergine with a few sprays of olive oil, and finely chop the courgette and mix with fat-free yogurt. Once the aubergine is ready, spread a thin film of harissa over the flesh. Serve together.
I'd be happy (I have been happy) to serve these two as part of a larger mezze - but not tonight. And luckily I didn't have to cook for anyone else - while I was busy elegantly tasting wines, my husband was tucking into a kebab.
Sunday, 22 July 2007
roasted aubergine curry
I'm on a curry binge. Since having Marsh Ruby's curry earlier this week (see last post), I can't get curry off the brain. I think I've read somewhere that the spices are addictive - but actually, I think it boils down to the fact that the spice mixture is so unique. There just isn't anything like it.
I love taking the time to grind my own spices, but that's not always possible. (Though you can do this and freeze the extra). On Friday night, I was tired after a long week at work and simply felt like relaxing, but I craved another curry.
Ta-da! Roasted aubergine curry. I almost always have an aubergine in my kitchen - and everything else you need is generally in the cupboards - chopped tomatoes, onions, dried spices.
roasted aubergine curry
(serves 2)
1 very large aubergine, halved or two smaller ones
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
1 tin chopped tomatoes or peeled plum tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and quartered
spices - turmeric, a garam masala blend, mustard seeds, ground coriander (essential), cayenne pepper, cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Spray a foil-lined roasting tin with about 10 sprays of olive oil, and placed the halved aubergines face down. Season with Maldon salt. Spray the tops of the aubergine too. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes.
When the aubergines are done, shred the insides with a fork and pile onto a plate. You can get rid of the skins (or eat them if you like, but they can be a little bitter).
Spray a wok with 10 sprays of olive oil and heat the pan to a relatively high heat. Toss in the onions and all the spices and let them almost dry-roast for a minute or two. Add some of the tomato juice if it seems like the spices are going to burn.
Once the pan's hot enough - pour the rest of the tomatoes in, adding a little water if necessary, and all of the shredded roast aubergine (which looks absolutely divine). Let it simmer for as long as you like (obviously, the longer the better, though this can be eaten after letting it simmer for about 15 minutes). Taste and season as necessary - I needed a bit of extra ground coriander - but it's all down to your individual taste.
Serve equal portions of the curry with brown rice - or, as I did on Friday - quinoa. It was my first time with this perplexing grain. More on that later.
Calories: curry with 50 g quinoa or rice - 300, with 100 g quinoa or rice - 475.
I loved this - it was healthy, filling, easy and tasty. But there's not just me to consider here - what about the man who doesn't need/want/have to watch what he eats? "We can have this again," he stated, with his brilliant Doncastrian no-fuss accent, before diving back in for another mouthful. Job done, I suppose.
I love taking the time to grind my own spices, but that's not always possible. (Though you can do this and freeze the extra). On Friday night, I was tired after a long week at work and simply felt like relaxing, but I craved another curry.
Ta-da! Roasted aubergine curry. I almost always have an aubergine in my kitchen - and everything else you need is generally in the cupboards - chopped tomatoes, onions, dried spices.
roasted aubergine curry
(serves 2)
1 very large aubergine, halved or two smaller ones
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
1 tin chopped tomatoes or peeled plum tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and quartered
spices - turmeric, a garam masala blend, mustard seeds, ground coriander (essential), cayenne pepper, cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Spray a foil-lined roasting tin with about 10 sprays of olive oil, and placed the halved aubergines face down. Season with Maldon salt. Spray the tops of the aubergine too. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes.
When the aubergines are done, shred the insides with a fork and pile onto a plate. You can get rid of the skins (or eat them if you like, but they can be a little bitter).
Spray a wok with 10 sprays of olive oil and heat the pan to a relatively high heat. Toss in the onions and all the spices and let them almost dry-roast for a minute or two. Add some of the tomato juice if it seems like the spices are going to burn.
Once the pan's hot enough - pour the rest of the tomatoes in, adding a little water if necessary, and all of the shredded roast aubergine (which looks absolutely divine). Let it simmer for as long as you like (obviously, the longer the better, though this can be eaten after letting it simmer for about 15 minutes). Taste and season as necessary - I needed a bit of extra ground coriander - but it's all down to your individual taste.
Serve equal portions of the curry with brown rice - or, as I did on Friday - quinoa. It was my first time with this perplexing grain. More on that later.
Calories: curry with 50 g quinoa or rice - 300, with 100 g quinoa or rice - 475.
I loved this - it was healthy, filling, easy and tasty. But there's not just me to consider here - what about the man who doesn't need/want/have to watch what he eats? "We can have this again," he stated, with his brilliant Doncastrian no-fuss accent, before diving back in for another mouthful. Job done, I suppose.
Saturday, 7 July 2007
I don’t think I came into contact with capers until I went to university. They were unknown. I remember when I saw them listed as optional in an amazing recipe by Roberto Donna for eggplant and ricotta stuffed shells with a red pepper sauce (http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/8604?section=). I immediately discounted them. A friend of mine – a salt addict –went on and on about them though at the time.
Eventually I learned to love them. They’re fantastic with smoked salmon and cream cheese on a bagel (the trick is to put them on the cream cheese rather than the salmon so they don’t roll off) and in penne puttanesca, which I made a few weeks ago (http://eatingforonecookingfortwo.blogspot.com/2007/05/eating-lunch-at-work.html)
So what’s the problem, then? Well, we don’t use capers often enough and the caper manufacturers must know this. Thus, they would have us buy a jar that they figure will only be used once and then fester in our refrigerator until the next time we need capers, at which point we’ll surely no longer trust the contents of said jar (despite the fact that they are pickled) and purchase another.
I refuse to give in to the caper overlords. I will use all of my capers. But where?
The lunchtime salad is a great destination for the lonely fridge-bound caper. Often, taking my staple salad to work (spinach, feta, chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, carrot, red wine vinegar) can become a bit humdrum. Adding a tablespoon of capers to the salad the past few days has been fantastic – the nearly sour, salty buds have just the right amount of give – not too mushy, but with the slightest bit of tension in the skin. And as they are often used in Mediterranean cooking, they fit right in with the chickpeas and feta. I’ve even been able to reduce the amount of vinegar I usually use.
Other possible holiday destinations for the caper?
A quick search on Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/find/results?search=caper
Sauces are great with the caper – they add salt and flavour very easily. Even a basic garlic and caper oil-based sauce would be fantastic on some fish.
And pesto! What a great idea. Tonight I’m actually making an avocado pesto – more on that tomorrow though.
Other fridge-festerers that need eating? Let me know…
Eventually I learned to love them. They’re fantastic with smoked salmon and cream cheese on a bagel (the trick is to put them on the cream cheese rather than the salmon so they don’t roll off) and in penne puttanesca, which I made a few weeks ago (http://eatingforonecookingfortwo.blogspot.com/2007/05/eating-lunch-at-work.html)
So what’s the problem, then? Well, we don’t use capers often enough and the caper manufacturers must know this. Thus, they would have us buy a jar that they figure will only be used once and then fester in our refrigerator until the next time we need capers, at which point we’ll surely no longer trust the contents of said jar (despite the fact that they are pickled) and purchase another.
I refuse to give in to the caper overlords. I will use all of my capers. But where?
The lunchtime salad is a great destination for the lonely fridge-bound caper. Often, taking my staple salad to work (spinach, feta, chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, carrot, red wine vinegar) can become a bit humdrum. Adding a tablespoon of capers to the salad the past few days has been fantastic – the nearly sour, salty buds have just the right amount of give – not too mushy, but with the slightest bit of tension in the skin. And as they are often used in Mediterranean cooking, they fit right in with the chickpeas and feta. I’ve even been able to reduce the amount of vinegar I usually use.
Other possible holiday destinations for the caper?
A quick search on Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/find/results?search=caper
Sauces are great with the caper – they add salt and flavour very easily. Even a basic garlic and caper oil-based sauce would be fantastic on some fish.
And pesto! What a great idea. Tonight I’m actually making an avocado pesto – more on that tomorrow though.
Other fridge-festerers that need eating? Let me know…
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