Baked aubergine with lemon dressing

Hello Moms,

This week I am sharing one of my favourite dishes, baked aubergine with lemon dressing… (or as it’s known across the pond – eggplant)

It’s really delicious and a hit in our household. It’s a perfect summer dish, which you can have as a starter, a side dish or even for lunch.  We normally add some french beans to make it a complete meal (I’ll share the french bean recipe in another post, as I think you’ll enjoy that one too). It’s also very quick to prepare so in no time you’ll have this one whipped up ;0

Lately, I’ve been craving aubergines and I always listen to my body if it’s craving a certain food… I’m so glad I have this recipe ;0

Did you know that the aubergine is actually classed as a berry and not a vegetable…  They are so good for us as they contain a tonne of nutrients, such as manganese, vitamin B1 &  B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, folate, vitamin K and copper. And, they are also a good source of dietary fibre.

The flavonoids found in aubergines play an important part in heart health, as they contain phenolic compounds which can actively reduce blood pressure. And, contained in the aubergine skin is a potent antioxidant called nasunin which prevents iron accumulation and neutralizes free-radicals!

So where’s the recipe I hear you say – here it is: 

Ingredients:

  • 2 large aubergines, cut into 1cm rounds
  • 2 tbsp tamari (fermented soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 lemons squeezed and half a rind of lemon
  • 200ml of kefir (fermented milk)/yoghurt or
  • For non-dairy/vegan option –  200ml of coconut yoghurt
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Garnish:

  • A small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs of fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp of toasted cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds chopped and sprinkled over the dish
  • 1 red chilli sliced (optional)

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2 Spread the aubergine rounds on the baking tray. Mix the tamari, honey and
sesame oil in a bowl and pour evenly over the aubergine. Or if you have time, it’s nice to marinate in the fridge for a few hours before cooking.  Bake for 20–25 minutes
until soft and golden.

3 Meanwhile, mix the juice of the lemon and the lemon rind with the kefir/yoghurt, salt and pepper.

4 Place the aubergine rounds on a large serving dish. Drizzle over the lemon dressing
and garnish with the coriander, mint, chilli and toasted nuts/seeds.

So that’s all there is to it moms, let me know if you make this dish and what your thoughts are and/or whether you have a favourite aubergine dish in your house?

As always I love to hear from you, love and best wishes,

L X

Calorie Count: 343 per serving (this dish serves 2)

Credit:

Detox Kitchen

References:

Number 1

Number 2 

Number 3

Number 4

 

 

 

 

 

Quick and Easy Red Lentil Soup

Hello lovely moms, this week I wanted to share my favourite fast making lentil soup recipe with you. This recipe is really healthy and loved by my family. It takes about 30 mins (inc. prep) to table.

Last year we became vegetarians and I found different variations of this recipe online and in my cookbooks. (recipe credits below :0)

Even if you are not vegetarian/vegan you will find this recipe full of flavour and a change from the norm.

It contains amazing red lentils which are packed with lots of iron, protein, and fibre, lots of yummy vegetables, onions, garlic, ginger, and herbs.

This dish will leave you feeling full and satisfied and there should be enough for leftovers the next day (depending on your household – serves about 4 large portions) however, in our house, this rarely happens as my husband always finishes it off 😉

So here is the recipe:

  • 1 tablespoon of organic coconut oil (we like to use coconut oil to cook)
  • 2 medium onions or 1 large onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic (whatever your preference we like garlic ;)) diced
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 1 thumb size of ginger root, crushed or diced
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs/french herbs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large cup of red lentils, well rinsed
  • 3-4 large cups of vegetable stock (sometimes I only use 3 cups to make it more of a stew, whatever your preference)
  • Salt/Pepper to season, I also recommend Herbamare (see link below), it’s a tasty seasoner my sister got me using (thanks sis!)

Get cooking:

  • Over a medium heat, fry off the onions and garlic for 5 mins until fragrant
  • Then add the herbs, ginger, and vegetables. Put a lid on the pot and leave for 8-10 mins on medium heat to cook the vegetables
  • Next, add in your lentils (make sure they have been fully rinsed) then add your stock, bring to the boil and then simmer on a low/medium heat for 15 mins until lentils are tender.
  • Garnish the soup with chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon and serve with fresh crusty rye bread. I promise you it’s delish!

Please let me know if you make it and what you think of the flavours?!!

Best wishes and Love L X

PS: need to work on my food photography 😉

Red lentil soup image for blog

 

Links

Herbamare 

Recipe credits:

Delish knowledge 

theKitchn.com

East by West