Oh how I love an ‘ALL IN ONE’ meal!
I really do mean a meal which needs to include everything I love, in this case, a zippy homemade fresh tomato sauce (no tomatoes was skinned on site! :-), beans (how I love a bean), roasted aubergines (from my garden ?!) and lots of greens.
This recipe is the kind of ‘pop-in-the-oven-for-later-dish’ that brings me so much joy and makes me feel like I am ahead of the dinner game!
I have been reading and studying lots of different eating routines and how they relate and digest in our bodies. We are all unique, we are all multidimensional and all our needs and approaches to food is our own. There really is not a one size fits all when it comes to nutrition, what works for me might not work for you.
Most of what I am reading is looking for answers within my own body as it feels like at 46 I woke up one day with someone else’s body? My WTF moment made be do some digging, searching and implementing.
What I do know is that food needs to bring you JOY, its vital. If you are eating food that is bland, dull and frankly boring, whatever path you are on it will not be sustainable.
SO, my mission and my purpose is to cook good food that’s appetising, delicious and will inspire you to cook it!
More on seasonal swaps, serving suggestion and info on my website. For now I am just getting on with the recipe.
Serves 4 with leftovers.
600g aubergines, sliced lengthways (about 3 large ones)
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
200g Swiss chard (a bunch), washed and chopped
2 x buffalo mozzarella balls, roughly torn
1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Pinch smoked chilli flakes
4 garlic cloves, sliced
Any woody herbs, rosemary, thyme etc chopped
600g fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 x 400g tins barlotti beans
130g tomato paste (a whole tube)
1 x 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes
1 x 680ml bottle tomato passata
4 tablespoons chopped basil
4 tablespoons chopped parsley (opt)
Preheat the oven to 200c, add the aubergine slices to a bowl, season generously with salt, pepper, the garlic and a generous drizzle of olive oil, mix with your hands. Line one or two baking trays with baking paper, add the aubergines in a single layer to the trays and roast for 20 minutes, turning once, or until the aubergines are golden and cooked, set aside.
For the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat, add the fennel seeds, garlic cloves and woody herbs (if using), stirring continuously (keep an eye on the garlic, we don’t want it to brown), about 3 minutes. Add the fresh tomatoes & season generously with salt & fresh pepper, let the tomatoes bubble away, with the lid ajar until the tomatoes are cooked and looks like a sauce - this will take about 15 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, tin tomatoes and passata, give it a good stir before adding the beans, give the sauce another stir and taste for seasoning, its should really taste lip-smackingly delicious at this stage. Stir through the basil.
To assemble, use a deep ceramic baking dish, start by adding a good dollop of tomato sauce to the base making sure to cover the whole base, now add a layer of greens, some parmesan and a layer of aubergines. Continue to layer the dish until you finish with a layer of tomatoes, add the final amount of parmesan and dollop the mozzarella on top, sprinkle with chopped parsley (if using) and a final season of salt, pepper and a drizzle olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is golden.
Serve hot or at room temperature with a beautiful greens or a simple salad on the side.
Enjoy x Adré