In praise of the Aubergine/Eggplant..

It’s high time we sang the praises of this humble vegetable — not only is it highly versatile, it’s nutritious and delicious, inexpensive, and most importantly, makes an ideal alternative to meat..

In case you hadn’t noticed, the world seems to be heating up. And one of the prime causes is meat consumption. According to a recent report, whilst livestock gases now make up an alarming 15% of global warming emissions, the appetite for meat in the more industrialised/wealthier nations is soaring:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/03/eating-less-meat-curb-climate-change

So if in good conscience you’ve already given up meat or have significantly reduced your consumption (or indeed seriously intend to) you’ve earned a firm and friendly pat on the back from me.

But if you’re looking for some inspiration at meal time and meat substitutes (let’s face it, most of them are as ‘manufactured’ as the meat they’re replacing) don’t take your fancy, you may wish to read on.

Of course the delights of the aubergine have long been recognised in Middle Eastern cuisine. But in fact this ‘poor man’s meat’ is used throughout the world to add substance and flavour to dishes.

Here then are some of my favourite aubergine/eggplant recipes. Enjoy! And please share them — in the fight against global warming and for a world significantly less dependent on meat as well as more compassionate towards animals, this humble yet hearty vegetable deserves a special role.

Note: Apologies to my American cousins (I’m English) but I’ve used ‘aubergine’ in the recipes instead of ‘eggplant’ for economy. It does sound nicer though don’t you think?

Aubergine burger with rosti and fried egg (your pics pending..)

Who says veggie burgers can’t deliver? The rosti gives the burger more bite and the creaminess of the potato balances the oily/salty flesh of the aubergine. Free range egg, naturally.

Ingredients:

• Two fairly thick (they’ll get thinner in the pan) slices of large aubergine/eggplant
• Olive oil (half a cup or so — enough to fry the aubergines on both sides bearing in mind they do soak up a fair bit)
• Burger buns
• Large ‘disks’ of rosti potatoes (frozen — cooked in oven is best for crispy finish and less calories)
• Salad — leaves, tomato slices etc.
• Chilli sauce for a spicy kick and/or mayo (optional)

Directions:

Slice up the aubergines. Fry them in the olive oil with the egg. Toast the burger bun slices in a grill pan. Assemble with salad and grab a sheet of kitchen roll (for the runny egg yolk of course).

Aubergine ‘meatballs’ and spaghetti (‘Rita Cooks Italian’)

You’ll be amazed at how tasty and satisfying these ‘meatballs’ are..

Italian Aubergine Balls are a delicious alternative to traditional meatballs: I serve them with…

Aubergine with sweet chilli sauce and rice, garnished with egg and spring onions.

Ingredients/Directions

Couldn’t be simpler. Just grab a bottle of sweet chilli sauce and pour a good measure into a pan of fried aubergine (cut lenthways into medium sized chunks). I like to serve mine with boiled Jasmine rice garnished with ribbons of egg and finely sliced spring onions. The aubergine soaks up the sauce to make a heavenly combination! Alternatively use satay, or whatever floats your spicy-oriental-aubergine boat.

Here’s a great recipe using spicy garlic sauce from SteamyKitchen:

Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Aubergine Lasagne

Ingredients:

(Quantities according to how hungry you/they are..)

• Tomato sauce — I prefer to make my own with olive oil, tinned tomatoes, some passata/sieved tomatoes to thicken, seasoning (salt, pepper, basil/Mediterranean herbs) a touch of garlic, and a little sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes
• Lasagne sheets
• Several sliced aubergines — cut lengthways is best to fit the lasagne
• Your favourite cheese (or cheese sauce — either way, another pat on the back for using organic) grated over the top; the best version I’ve had was at a restaurant in the South of France where they used lightly crumbled Roquefort — the creamy/salty flavour complementing the silky/sweet aubergine slices perfectly!

Directions:

You’ve never made a lasagna/e before?? Get off your mobile and into the kitchen! ;)

Alternatively: leave out the pasta and just make a classic ‘aubergine parmigiana’ like this scrummy/low fat one from ‘Food to Glow’:

Aubergine Parmigiana - Lower Fat

Smoky Aubergine — sorry ‘Eggplant’ — dip (courtesy of Smitten Kitchen)

smoky eggplant dip

The health benefits of Aubergine/Eggplant:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-aubergines