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Eggplant, or Aubergine depending which side of the pond you reside on is a vegetable that is often overlooked. This purple veggie is often seen as slimy and soft, and many of us avoid cooking it because it can be a bland addition to the table. However, the only reason why you might find this vegetable boring is if you don’t cook it right, and it can actually be a wonderful addition to a myriad of nutritious and delicious dishes.
Today we are going to take a look at 2 recipes that bring eggplant to the forefront and make them the star of the show.
Grilled Eggplant and Halloumi Sandwich
The first recipe we are going to share today is a grilled eggplant and halloumi sandwich that is ideal for a midday lunch or for packed lunches. For this recipe, you may want to break out the grill, and you can learn more at GrillSeeker.com about how to set it up for success when grilling veggies and cheese. Here’s what you’ll need…
Serves 2
Ingredients:
· 4 slices eggplant
· 8 slices halloumi
· 2 tbsp houmous
· 4 slices seeded bread (or your favorite)
· 2 romaine lettuce leaves
· 4 slices beef tomato
1. To start, sprinkle some salt on both sides of your eggplant and leave to sit for 5-10 minutes. Once you have done this, press the eggplant slices with kitchen paper to soak up water.
2. Preheat the grill, or griddle pan, and lightly season and oil the eggplant slices. Once heated up, place the eggplant and halloumi on the grill and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until charred.
3. Toast the bread lightly.
4. To assemble your sandwich, spread houmous on all slices of toast. Place a lettuce leaf down, followed by eggplant, halloumi, and tomato, and finish with the other slice of bread. This yummy sandwich is the ideal lunchtime treat and will keep you full all afternoon.
Simple Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a meal that is often associated with eggplant, but often people miss out an important step in the process and as a result, slimy vegetables end up on your plate. This recipe is simple and healthy, and ideal for a weeknight meal.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
· 1 Eggplant, diced
· 1 Zucchini, diced
· 200g Butternut squash, diced
· 1 sweet potato, diced
· 500g ground beef, lean
· 2 cups tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes
· 1 sprig thyme, rosemary, and parsley chopped
1. Start off by adding all of the vegetables to a baking tray with salt, pepper, and oil. Mix well and bake in the oven at 200C for 50 minutes.
2. After 40 minutes, heat up a saucepan and fry off the ground beef. You can also add a diced onion here for some extra flavour. Add the chopped herbs to the pan and cook through. Once the beef is cooked, add the tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes and stir. Add the roasted vegetables to the pan.
3. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then serve with crusty bread, houmous, and a sprinkle of parmesan.
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