MaryLee's Healthy Food and Easy Cooking - Aubergines

I am back again,

I would like to talk about a few meals that I think you will enjoy and are very easy to make.

Even though I am a meat eater I do enjoy vegetables and vegetable meals can be really satisfying. It is not always necessary to eat meat but I do like to have some kind of protein with my carbs.

These dishes I am going to talk about uses the lonely aubergine. Aubergines (egg plants) are a wonderful vegetable and not used enough mainly because people do not know what to do with them.

Baked aubergine

Take whole aubergine and cut a wedge out of the centre. Place in the wedge pesto or tomato sauce of your choice, sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and replace the wedge cap. Bake in oven approx 30 minutes until soft.

Depending on size of aubergine either cook one per person or if larger cut into portion size.

Another way to prepare it is to chop aubergine into bite size pieces, roll in wholemeal flour, or flour or corn flour. To make interesting add a variety of herbs and spices to flour mixture. Place in lightly greased oven pan and bake till golden brown. I do not usually use ready made sauces but try using a low sodium black bean sauce. Pour over aubergine and return to oven for about 10 minutes.

Another great way to cook aubergines

Cut aubergine into ½ inch slices do the same with a onion, courgettes and mushrooms.

Grate some mozzarella cheese (low fat if you can find it)

Using a deep baking lasagne dish, put layer of aubergine, layer of onion, and sliced courgettes and sliced mushrooms, repeat till dish is almost full then cover with tomato sauce and bake in oven at 350 F or 180 C approx 30 min until soft. Cover with cheese and return till melted.

Tip: once aubergine is chopped or sliced place in strainer and sprinkle with salt for approximately ½ hour to release liquid which can make it taste bitter, pat dry before use.