Baked Aubergine with Nutty Pesto
Baked Aubergine with Nutty Pesto
Author: Heidi
Recipe type: Lunch / Dinner
Cuisine: Vegetarian / European
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
A favourite, no fuss, quick and easy recipe that I always try to make too much of so I can have it for lunch the forthcoming days. I love the pesto made with cashew nuts and coriander, as specified below, but have also made it very successfully with a mix of nuts available and using basil and or parsley instead of the coriander..........Use what you like the most and enjoy! I recommend serving it with baby tomatoes and red peppers that I pop in the oven for the last 10 minutes of cooking time - or if you have more time, make a sweet tomato salsa to have on the side. A nutritional note: In the same family as potato and tomato (nightshade family), aubergines are a good source of dietary fibre, B1, B6 & potassium as well as other minerals. It is mainly the skin of the Aubergine where interesting research has found the flavonoid Nasunin, a potent antioxidant / free radical scavenger, but also a compound that will bind and remove excess iron. In this dish we use the skin and don't burn or blister it like many recipes do, so excellent utilisation of all nutrients available!
Ingredients
- 1 Aubergine (Eggplant) per 2 main-dish servings, halved lengthwise
- 50-60 g cashews, depending on the size of the aubergines
- 40g fresh coriander (you can use the stalks as well)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 4-5 tbsp olive oil, depending on the size of the aubergines
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 50-60 g feta cheese, depending on the size of the aubergines
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170C (The smoke point of good olive oil is 180C, so you should not be destroying the olive oil or rendering it harmful at this temperature)
- Place the aubergine halves on a baking tray, sprinkle or wipe a bit of the olive oil over the cut halves and bake, cut half up, in the oven for around 25-35 minutes, till they are almost cooked through.
- Make the pesto by blitzing all the remaining ingredients, except the feta cheese, in a blender, to make a rough paste. Maintaining a coarse consistency of the nuts is a rather nice feature of this dish.
- Take the aubergine out of the oven and spread the pesto over the cut halves.
- Return to the oven for 10 minutes or so, until the pesto starts to brown slightly. I tend to add baby tomatoes and chopped red peppers to the oven tray at this stage, to serve with the aubergine.
- Take the aubergines out of the oven, crumble the feta over the tops and serve immediately.
- Leftovers are fine in the fridge for a couple of days (if you can resist them that long) and can be heated up for a delicious lunch.
David Dickson
that sounds like a recipe my wife would love. Think we will have to try it!
Nixon Designs
It is a very wholesome recipe with a number of textures that are very pleasing to eat. You should definitely try it David. Let me know what you think when you do.
Leyla Fuller
I have just made this, absolutely fantastic love this whole combination of flavours. It doesn’t take long to make either. Thankyou again Heidi for giving me another recipe I can make straight from work.