Char-grilled Aubergine, Tomato and Feta Salad

There are many things that you can make with a plate of griddled aubergines.  You can layer them with minced lamb for a moussaka, or with rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan for Melanzane Parmigiana, or spread them with miso and grill them for a Japanese feast.  I could go on!  I chose to use a them in a lovely assembly-job salad from Saint Delia, tossing them in a marinade of olive oil, a little Balsamic and lots of chopped fresh basil, then overlapping them on a bed of proper Batavia lettuce with halves of slow-roast tomatoes, and topping them with crumbled feta cheese.  Very nice, served with the roasted carrot hummus made with the left-overs from last night's carrot and chickpea pitta pockets.  Here is Delia's original recipe if you fancy giving it a go - we eschewed the creme fraiche as I thought it was rich enough.  And I didn't have any!

Aubergine Butternut Squash Curry

I know.  This sounds like knitted nut cutlets and bread made from ground-up rocks and sand, but in fact it was soothing, comforting, sweet and wholesome - a bit like me!  I'd had a butternut squash lurking in the shed for a month, and every time I checked it, I had to knock off a slug or two, hoping desperately to break through the tough skin, but never succeeding.  Well, it got peeled and chopped tonight (minus the slugs!) and added to a curry with chopped, sauteed aubergine, a tin of chickpeas, a small tin of coconut milk, some veg stock, and a masala paste of blended onion, garlic, ginger, tomato puree, garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander and cumin, and chilli flakes.  With a handful of spinach and fresh coriander stirred in at the end, and a spritz of lime juice, it was a great way to despatch a squash!  Serve with Basmati rice and/or naan bread or chapattis, and you have a wonderfully healthy meal for four for under a fiver.

Morrocan Aubergine

Another aubergine dish, following on from the Caponata a couple of weeks ago.  This simple recipe packs a flavour punch, and is at its best served at room temperature or cold, with extra oil drizzled over.  It is very adaptable and would serve 4-6 as an appetizer with pitta bread, or 4 people for a main course if you added a tin of chick peas and some wilted spinach.  However you have it, it is delicious and qualifies for the 'under a fiver' category.  In 3 tablespoons of olive oil, saute a large sliced onion until soft and translucent, over a medium heat.  Turn up the heat and add a large aubergine, cut into half-inch cubes, and toss and fry until soft and the flesh is turning golden in places.  It will soak up the oil - don't add any more, but sprinkle in a tablespoon or so of water if it dries out too much, and regulate the heat if necessary.  Throw in three cloves of chopped garlic, along with 2 teaspoons of ground cumin and half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes.  Stir for a moment, then add 4 or 5 chopped ripe tomatoes (you can skin them if you like, but I didn't bother).  Simmer for 10 minutes with a lid on until the tomatoes collapse and give off their juices.  Now, allow to cool to room temperature and stir in some chopped coriander and mint.  Taste for salt and pepper, squeeze in the juice from half a lemon, drizzle on some of your very best extra virgin olive oil and serve.  By the way, I elected to serve mine with some pieces of spankingly-fresh sustainable cod, dusted with some Ras-al Hanout and drizzled with oil, then grilled until just cooked.  With more lemon squeezed over, it was a perfect meal for a warm evening.

Caponata

There are probably as many recipes for Caponata as there are Sicilians, from whence it comes.  Giorgio Locatelli has more than four variations in his latest book on Sicilian cuisine.  So choosing a recipe will always be a matter of personal taste.  I don't like it too oily, I like the aubergine to be quite chunky, and for me it has to have celery in it.  I also like it quite sweet and sour so add a splash of wine vinegar, and a salty tang from stoned picholine green olives and salted capers.  You could add raisins if liked for extra sweetness and to ramp up the Moorish influence, and some toasted pine-nuts are nice to add crunch and protein if feeding veggies or vegans.  But please - no peppers, they aren't authentic.  Here is my version, a hybrid between a Jamie Oliver and Giorgio Locatelli recipe.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and saute a large onion chopped, with 3 stalks of chopped celery.  Don't colour them, but allow them to soften, and the onion to go translucent.  Stir in an aubergine, chopped into one and a half inch chunks, and stir and sautee until they soften too.  Don't add more oil, as they'll just drink it up.  Add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic and cook for a few moments, then stir in a tin of tomatoes (a good brand please, like Cirio), and about 12 or so stoned green olives with a tablespoon of rinsed capers.  Now add salt, pepper and a tablespoon of good wine vinegar.  Simmer gently for half an hour until the aubergine is tender and creamy but not mushy.  Allow to cool to tepid, stir in lots of chopped parsley and a spoonful of your very best olive oil, and eat with crusty bread.  This will serve four people generously with some other mezze.  I made some hummus tonight, and some totally geographically inappropriate guacamole, which actually went really well with all the other flavours. 

Pasta alla Norma

The divine Giorgio Locatelli has just published a magisterial book on Sicilian cooking, and I have already book-marked about 20 things to cook.  The Sicilians are very influenced by the Moors who once ruled their island, and it is thought that they made pasta well before it was introduced on the mainland.  Pasta alla Norma is one of their most famous dishes, and Giorgio's version is rich with roasted and deep-fried aubergines, masses of olive oil, and a cheese called ricotta salata or salted and semi-hard ricotta.  I have simplified this to cut down the need to deep-fry the aubergine, but it is still delicious and a great veggie pasta dish.  Even given that aubergines aren't that cheap, this will still qualify as an 'under a fiver' dish for 4 - easily halved as well.  Start off by cutting two aubergines into chunks about 2cm across.  Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan until hot and then fry the aubergines over a highish heat until golden brown and soft on all sides.  It will drink up the oil - don't be tempted to add more, just keep turning the pieces regularly and it will be fine.  Now make a tomato sauce with a large onion, 4 cloves of garlic (both finely chopped), another couple of tablespoons of olive oil and 2 x 400g tins of good tomatoes - Cirio brand for me.  When the sauce is thick and reduced, add the aubergines and about 20g of chopped fresh basil.  Heat through, whilst cooking 400g of pasta - rigatoni, penne or even bucatini, the thick southern-Italian spaghetti.  Drain the pasta, keeping a little of the cooking water back, and toss with the aubergine and tomato sauce, adding a little cooking water to slacken everything and help it coat.  If you are lucky enough to get hold of ricotta salata, grate it over everything and serve pronto.  If not, Pecorino Romano or Parmesan is good, and I also stirred some chopped mozarella through right at the end.  Why not pop on a CD of Bellini's opera 'Norma', after which the dish is named, whilst you prepare and eat - I favour the recording with Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne or Callas/Ludwig.

Aubergine Parmigiana - the skinny version!

I first had Melanzane Parmigiana in a little cafe in a tiny side street in Ravello, high on the Amalfi coast, many years ago.  Perfect town, and perfect food, served just tepid - rich, melting, and unctuous with LOTS of olive oil.  Aubergine, as we all know, is like a sponge, and soaks up as much oil as you can throw at it, so making this 'skinny' is a challenge, especially when you throw in the Mozzarella and grated parmesan, so essential to the texture and flavour of the finished dish.  The answer lies in gently grilling the aubergine slices, which you lay out on a baking tray and spray with just a little oil from a pump-dispenser.  Keep the heat moderate, turn a couple of times, and after 15 minutes or so, you should end up with golden, tender slices of aubergine that will reach full melting softness after being bathed in a rich tomato and basil sauce, layered with sliced mozzarella (NOT the grated stuff please, and you really don't need the 'di Buffola' good stuff which is best eaten cool with a perfectly-ripe tom and fresh basil) and generous sprinklings of grated parmesan, and baked for half-an-hour.  Okay, so this will never be REALLY low fat, but it is much lower than traditional recipes, and tasted bloomin' gorgeous, just warm, with lots of spinach, green beans and sugarsnap peas on the side.

Aubergine and Beef Stacks with Lemon Yoghurt Dressing

I love a well-made moussaka, but it is NOT low-fat!  All that olive oil and (usually) fatty lamb, which of course gives flavour but pushes the fat content sky high.  Add to that, the rich eggy, yoghurty, cheesy custard topping, and it is a no-go zone.  So, this revamped and deconstructed version from the marvellous Australian Women's Weekly 21-Day Wonder Diet is a God-send.  It consists of a base of slices of sliced, baked aubergine, courgette and red pepper (very lightly spritzed with olive-oil spray and laid on baking parchment, then baked for around 20 minutes).  Meanwhile, dry-fry 250g of lean (5% fat) organic beef in a non-stick pan until browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon.  Add a very finely chopped onion and clove of garlic, a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a teaspoon of tomato puree, two peeled, chopped tomatoes, and 200mls of beef stock.  Cover and simmer gently until the beef is tender and the liquid has reduced.  You can add other veg too - I added some sweetcorn and chopped, roasted pepper.  Right at the end, add some chopped fresh basil.  Now, layer the roasted veg on a warm plate, top with the mince and a spoonful or two of 0% Greek youghuret mixed with lemon juice and sumac (if you have any), and add some salad leaves or watercress on the side.  We added a few baby new potatoes for carbs.  Delicious - all the flavours of moussaka, and virtually none of the fat.  Without the potatoes, this comes in at around 320 cals per portion, which can't be bad!  Just make sure you are mean with the oil when roasting the veg.

Moroccan Aubergine Stew

One of the best chain restaurants, in my humble opinion, is Giraffe - the food is interesting, mostly cooked on the premises and features some exciting flavours.  One of the most delicious things they do is a mezze plate with this stew, along with hummus, baba ganoush, etc.  So this is my version, and it is best served cold, with hummus, olives and flatbreads.  Just gorgeous.  Saute two finely chopped medium onions in 3-4 tablespoons olive oil until soft and golden - don't let them brown.  Stir in a diced aubergine - dice it quite small, and saute for a few minutes.  It will soak up all the oil, but don't be tempted to add more!  Now add 5 - yes, 5 - cloves of grated garlic, a teaspoon of ras al hanout powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, and a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Stir well then add half a tin of chopped tomatoes (or a small tin, if you have one) and a splash of water. Cover and simmer over a low heat until thick and the aubergine is tender and slightly squishy.  Chill, and then add chopped coriander leaves.  Some Greek yoghurt with cucumber and mint is a nice accompaniment to this too.

Hot Aubergine Mussaman Curry

I am suffering with a horrible head cold at the moment, so am hoping that some spicy dishes will blow it all away - I have no scientific basis for imagining this will work, it just seems the right thing to do!  I had some Mussaman paste left in the freezer from a chicken curry the other week, and this was explosively HOT with dried chilli, so this has formed the basis of the dish tonight - a good tablespoonful of the mix, fried with another spoonful or two of oil.  I grilled chunks of aubergine and some chopped onion, sprayed with oil, until browned and starting to soften - this uses much less oil than frying.  Then, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a small can of coconut cream (about 180ml) is added to the spice paste, brought to the boil and simmered until reduced and thickened.  As this stage approaches, add the aubergines and let them cook with the thickening sauce for 10 minutes or so - they will absorb the flavour but not break up too much.  Add salt to taste and some lime juice if you have any.  Serve with the creamy Parippu dal (previous recipe) and some nan bread.  Boy was this hot.  My sinuses have cleared a little!

Baked Aubergines with Yoghurt and Cucumber [#250]

We had such a feast of vegetables tonight: boiled globe artichokes with little ramekins of melted butter and lemon juice; these wonderful aubergines from Nigel Slater's book 'Tender'; chargrilled courgettes; sauteed spinach with garlic; jammily roasted tomatoes - all served on a big platter with crisp bread and a dish of tapenade. We spent ages picking at this wonderful mezze of veg - sometimes, you really don't need meat at all. Our regular deliveries from Riverford Organics are turning us into almost vegetarians, which is a good thing indeed. Do try this aubergine recipe, though - you don't need 'finger' aubergines as Nigel specifies - I used an ordinary one, halved and the flesh scored, drizzled with olive oil, and baked until the flesh was soft and scoopable with a spoon. Heaven. Followed up with a big dish of cherries and some white-fleshed peaches, we have exceeded our 5-a-day quota in one sitting. picture courtesy of The Daily Telegraph and Nigel Slater

Ratatouille

We eat so much of this stuff at this time of year - pasta with ratatouille, baked chicken with ratatouille, salmon with ratatouille, ratatouille fritatta..... I make large quantities and it matures in the fridge and freezes well too. Tonight, we used some to stuff a gorgeous yellow marrow that a neighbour gave us from their allotment. I halved it and scooped out the seeds, then filled the cavities with ratatouille, put in a roasting tin with some veg stock, covered with foil and baked for a good hour and a half until the marrow was meltingly tender. Then, I topped the lot with sliced cheddar and browned under the grill. Delicious with lots of fresh peas and crusty bread.

I make the ratatouille unconventionally - I slowly roast chunks of aubergine, courgette, onion and peppers. In the meantime, I make a sauce with lots of garlic, olive oil and a mix of tinned and fresh skinned tomatoes. When the roasted veg are ready - well cooked but not charred - I gently combine with the sauce. This way, the vegetables stay discrete and identifiable, rather than turning into a mush. It cuts down on the amount of oil you need to use, with no laborious frying at the start - the oven does all the work.

Roasted Aubergine and Tomato Pasta

We've been off on our hols - some pictures to follow - but tonight, we had a craving for veggies (not enough eaten last week, and too much alcohol!). The Riverford Organics delivery came up trumps with lovely tomatoes and aubergines, which were slow-roasted and tossed through pasta with basil and a little ricotta. Lovely, light and wholesome.

Baked Aubergine with Sheep's Cheese and Mint [#145]

Yummy! Nigel suggests serving this as a main course with rice, but I used half the recipe to top crostini to accompany Margeritas as a starter. Just a most scrummy combination - soft, melting aubergine with salty feta, mint and toasted pine nuts. The remainder of the recipe will find its way into fritters tomorrow with some spinach and the rest of the feta. Will definitely make this again. No online recipe, but so easy: slice aubergine and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and dried oregano and bake for 25 minutes till soft. Top with crumbled feta, chopped fresh mint and toasted pine kernels.

Roast Aubergines with Tahini [#141]

Really nice way to prepare aubergines - roasted or chargrilled with a bit of olive oil, and then dressed with Greek yoghurt, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic and chopped coriander. The dressing, in particular, went really well with the Lamb flatbreads (see previous recipe)

Bulghur Wheat with Aubergines and Mint [#91]

We went way back to the January section for this accompaniment to the Five Spice Quail - much more appropriate on a warm evening with grilled meat than on a cold mid-winter night. Bulghur Wheat has a curious texture, and I think I prefer couscous on balance, or I prefer just a small quantity in a proper Tabbouleh. Anyway, it is essential to big up the flavours with masses of garlic, aubergine, onion, tomatoes and - most important, mint, parsley and lemon juice. Loads left over for Hubby to eat for lunch at work tomorrow with the remaining carved quail.

Chickpeas with Harissa, Basil and Parma Ham [#78]

This was so easy a 2 year old - or a husband - could do it. I got a punnet of organic English tomatoes from M&S, and roasting them, with aubergine chunks, cumin and olive oil, is much the best way to flatter their rather exiguous flavour at this time of year. The recipe calls for 180ml of olive oil in total, which is just too calorific for us, so I used much less - probably in the region of about 70ml which was plenty. We have left-overs to take to wok too. Hurrah! Thrifty and tasty - leave the ham out for a perfect veggie - indeed, vegan - dish (although the saltiness of the ham added a delicious extra dimension). Served with olive ciabatta to mop up the copious juices, it was a lovely, easy supper.

Green Curry of Prawns and Thai Aubergines [#57]

No Thai aubergines to be found in Oxford, I'm afraid (or pea aubergines - really, Nigel!) so a nice, ordinary one, chopped into dice about half-an-inch square, worked perfectly well. As we had rice last night, I served this with slippery udon noodles - a cultural and national hybrid, I know, Japan meets Thailand, but it was a diplomatic success! Great quick recipe, gorgeous colours and full of layers of flavour from kaffir lime leaves, chilli, basil, coriander, lime - an acceptable way of eating prawns, which we rarely consume, for some reason!

Aubergine and Tomato Curry with Lemongrass

I know, I know, another recipe with lemongrass, but Nigel has a lot of recipes with it in at this time of year - and boy, was this a good one! Another fine example of Nigel's brilliance with Asian flavours, this curry had the most wonderful 'gravy' which we mopped up with coriander and garlic naan bread - unconventional, I know, but it was sooo good. One difference from the recipe - I sauteed the aubergines and mushrooms first, rather than bung them in with the sauce raw.

We also served more of the delectable pork and lime leaf patties that I had stashed in the freezer from when I made them in January - check out the blog for that recipe. A truly marvellous supper, to accompany Madama Butterfly on Radio 3 - I know, we should have eaten Japanese, but this Thai-inspired meal was near enough ;o) - by the way, we drink dryish cider with our curries rather than lager - try it, the slight sweetness goes wonderfully well, and has no hint of the slight bitterness that lager sometimes has, unwelcome I think with these flavours.