Aubergine with mozzarella and tomato sauce

You will need:
Tomato sauce, see the recipe here
1 Aubergine
Mozzarella Cheese
Aromathic herbs (Thyme, basil, oregano)
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

Remove the stalk and cut the aubergine into 0,5 - 1cms slices. cover the slices with a pinch of salt and let it rest about 30 minutes in order to let it sweat. remove the excess of salt and dry it. season with freshly ground pepper and grill both sides on a hot griddle pan. In a tray add a splash of olive oil and put all the grilled aubergine slices, add the tomato sauce, then the mozzarella and finish with a mix of aromatic herbs. Put it in pre-heated oven for about five minutes, 190ºC and serve it immediately!

Quick and easy recipe, just what I was looking for today...

"Vegeterian" Aubergine

Today's recipe is specially dedicated to my dear friend Sofia. Because of the distance I was unable to be at Lisbon to celebrate her birthday today. 

You will need: (for 2 people)

white wine

1 aubergine

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 onion

2 carrots

spinach

1/4 courgette

red pepper

4 tomatoes 

breadcrumbs

grated Parmesan

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Cut the aubergine in two halves and, in each half, make deep cuts diagonally carefully avoiding to cut the skin. put it on a tray, with the fleshy surface upward, with a bit of salt and a splash of extra virgin olive oil and put it in preheated oven (180ºC) for approx. 25 to 30 minutes.

Cut the carrots lengthwise and then cut into small slices, chop the onion and garlic and let it cook in a pan with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped spinach into julienne, add a little white wine and cook. Add a few pieces of red pepper and then the chopped tomato. After removing the aubergines from the oven let it cool and then, with the help of a spoon, add the aubergine flesh to the remaining vegetables and sauté it a little bit.

Finally fill the two halves of Aubergine, top with some breadcrumbs and finally the grated Parmesan.

Take it again to the oven till the cheese is grated. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Aubergine filled with vegetables

Aubergine is a very good friend to avoid having to throwing away your food, as you can cook it for several ways and combine it with thousands of ingredients... 

Today I suggest Aubergine filled with vegetables:

Ingredients 

(you may use different ones, I just used what I had in the fridge...)

Aubergine

Onion

Red/green pepper

courgette

tomato

sweet pepper

Salt and pepper

white wine 

Extra virgin Olive oil

salt & pepper

cheese 

Start by cutting the aubergine on two halfs, make a couple of cuts in the middle in order to let it cook better, put it in a tray, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of salt and take it to the oven, (200ºC), for aprox. 20 minutes. When it is cooked separate the meat and the skin.

At the same time, chop all the other vegetables. In a pan, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and start to cook the onion till it gets blond. Add the red/green pepper, then the courgette, the meat of the aubergine, add a bit of white whine and sweet pepper and mix it. Season with salt & pepper and finally add the tomatoes and let it cook.

Fill the aubergine skin with previously cooked vegetables, cover it with a slice of grated cheese and take it to the oven till the cheese melts.

A different ingredient for your salads….

Salads are usually related with diets but I prefer to relate it with freshness, summer & creativity. During Madrid's hot summer I almost have anything else than salads for lunch...
Salads is a world of imagination! most of the times you just need to go to your fridge and look for what you have to create different one from the day before.  Today I’ tell you a tip of a different ingredient, at least I think it is…

Grilled Aubergine in vinaigrette

To prepare it peel the Aubergine and cut it in slices, grill it and put it in a Tupperware to conserve it covered by vinaigrette sauce. And it is ready to be used during the following days. I  prepare the vinaigrette sauce with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a 3:1 proportion, salt & black pepper and in this case I use oregano.

Try it!