Smokey Lentil Stuffed Aubergine

An easy peasy thrown together recipe I made with some leftovers. I am a huge fan of pre made grain pouches such as by Merchant gourmet. They are a classic example of a nutrient dense processed food that can be a massive time saver.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 large aubergine

2 tbsps rapeseed oil

Roughly 300g passata

150g goats cheese

1-2 tsp hot smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 bag of spinach, roughly 250g

200g cooked lentils, I used Merchant Gourmet

Sprinkling of fresh parsley

Method

Preheat the over to 180 degrees celsius.

Cut the aubergine in half lengthways and remove the flesh. This doesn’t have to look perfect – mine certainly never is! Roughly chop the flesh and leave to one side.

Massage the aubergine halves with rapeseed oil and place them face down in a baking tray. Season and bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until soft and pretty much ready to eat.

To make the filling, heat the remaining tbsp of rapeseed oil over a medium heat. Add in the roughly chopped aubergine flesh and cook until soft. You may need to add in a little more oil.

Turn down the heat and pour over the passata. Add in the spices and plenty of seasoning. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Wilt the spinach into the smokey tomato sauce before adding the lentils and 3/4rs of the goat’s cheese.

Once the aubergine skins are cooked, spoon in the lentil filling. Crumble over the remaining goats cheese and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes.

Serve with plenty of fresh parsley and whatever else tickles your fancy.