Aubergines & an apology

First of all I want to start with an apology for my extended absence. I have a tendency to take on too many projects at once and leave them all unfinished so I needed a little prompt to remind me to return to my blog. In the meantime, however, I have been documenting the recipes for all of the dishes I try out so to make up for leaving my blog to get all dusty, I will be posting a new recipe every day for the next 7 days. And if I don't, come and hunt me down on instagram at @teenlauravegan and give me a good telling off!
Aubergines. They are one of my most favourite foods. They taste great in all recipes as they are almost 95% water so tend to take the flavour of whatever dish you are cooking. Not to mention they are incredibly good for you as they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol but provide a great source of Vitamins K, B6, Thiamin and Potassium, as well as dietary fiber. Check, check, check.
Today's recipe is called Aubergines Parmesan. I have made it about 5 times now and loved it more every time I do. It gets bonus points for being approved (and enjoyed!) by my non-vegan father! 
Recipe: Aubergines Parmesan


Serves: 4     Prep time: 30 mins      Cooking time: 20 mins followed by a further 10-15 mins


Ingredients:
150ml oil (olive oil will work although hemp seed oil is much healthier so I tend to use that!)
1 onion, peeled & finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
800g tin of tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree (or ketchup!)
2tsp fresh chopped basil 
A bit of salt & freshly ground black pepper
550g of Aubergines
225g vegan cheese (mozzarella/ cheddar style will work but mozzarella melts the best!)
Optional: 3tbsp vegan parmesan/other cheese for the topping


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 4/350F/180C)
2) Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan & fry chopped onion and crushed garlic for 5-7 mins.
3) Add tomatoes, puree, basil, salt and pepper- allow this to simmer for about 30 mins with a lid on, stirring occasionally)
4) Wash aubergines and cut into slices
5) Lightly salt and leave for 20 minsrinse, dry and put in a frying pan until soft and lightly browned (alternatively if using an AGA, you can just place them on the plate until brown on both sides without worrying about salting them)
6) Oil a dish to cook in and start layering. Put the tomato sauce in first, then the browned aubergines, followed by grated cheese of your choice. Repeat until dish is full & then top with parmesan/other cheese if desired.
7) Put foil over dish and cook in oven for 20 mins. Then uncover dish and return to oven for 10-15 mins to allow the cheese to brown and melt. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, it's become a family favourite over here and can be served with quinoa, tagliatelle, vegetables...there are no limits! 

I'll see you all tomorrow for another post...
Laura xo