Did you know that Aubergines are high in nutrients such as Folate, Potassium, Vitamins C & K, as well as being high in antioxidants, and fibre, which may contribute to maintaining good blood-sugar control? (source) It’s also a very versatile vegetable (I’ve already added an Aubergine Lasagna recipe to my blog) which can be used and abused to substitute the more processed carbs we have in our diets. After seeing a few Aubergine Parmigiana recipes floating around my socials, I was inspired to throw together my own, which turned out delicious. It’s best served with a fresh salad (or pasta if you like) and it can be divided into 5 portions (217 kcal each). Let me know what you think!
Ingredients:
- Aubergine, medium, 3 (408 kcal)
- Red wine (I used alcohol-free shiraz which was 14 kcal), 100 mL
- Tinned tomatoes, 400 g (84 kcal)
- Red onion, medium, 1, (44 kcal)
- Garlic clove, 3, (40 kcal)
- Fresh basil, 5 g, (1 kcal)
- Chopped tomatoes, 350 g, (63 kcal)
- Mozzarella ball, 115 g, (309 kcal)
- Parmesan cheese, 15 g, (76 kcal)
- Olive oil, 5 g, (45 kcal)
- Honey, 1 tbsp, (64 kcal)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Calories per portion (divided by 5): 217 kcal
Total kcals: 1084 kcal
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
- Begin by vertically chopping the aubergine into the thinnest, cleanest strips you can without it breaking apart. Lay all strips onto a clean counter or baking paper and add a small pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to both sides of each aubergine.
- Spread the aubergines out, on baking paper, onto trays (I used 4 trays) and bake them off for 10 mins.
- While they’re baking, finely chop the onion and garlic and add them to a pan over medium heat and drizzled with olive oil, until they soften.
- Prepare the sauce by adding a generous drizzle of olive oil to a measuring jug, along with the wine, chopped tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper. Mix very well then add to the pan containing the garlic and onion to simmer for 5 mins.
- Take the aubergines out of the oven when ready. Drizzle the bottom of a casserole dish with olive oil and spread it out over the inside of the dish using one of the aubergine slices. Layer the bottom of the dish with more slices of aubergine (you don’t need to be too particular with this), followed by adding a layer of sauce, 1/3rd of the mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and parmesan. Repeat this step two more times.
- Add the lid to the casserole dish and place it back into the oven for another 40 mins.
- Leave the dish to cool for at least 10 mins before handling it after this time. Separate the contents into 5 portions. Serve with some fresh salad or pasta.
The Food Anatomist 