At the end of last Summer I was heavily into roasting eggplant, zucchini and capsicum (bell peppers). This simple combo of eggplant and spicy sausage was one of my favourites!
enough for: 2
takes: an hour
1 large eggplant (aubergine)
250g (1/2lb) cherry tomatoes
2 chorizo or other spicy sausage
mayo, to serve
baby spinach or salad leaves, to serve
1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Chop eggplant into 2cm (1in) cubes. Halve tomatoes if large and thickly slice chorizo. Toss eggplant, tomato and chorizo in a large baking tray. Drizzle with a good glug of olive oil and season with salt.
2. Roast for 45 minutes. Stir and cook longer if needed. You want the eggplant to be really soft.
3. Divide between two bowls and serve with spinach / salad and mayo on the side.
Variations
vegetarian - replace chorizo with extra veg such as sliced zucchini or an extra eggplant (aubergine). Consider serving with some roast nuts, a poached egg or chickpeas for extra protein.
no mayo / egg-free - replace Mayo with a dollop of soft cheese like labneh or goats cheese. Hummus or my quick cauliflower hummus will also be lovely as will natural yoghurt.
other veg - feel free to add diced onion, sliced zucchini, chopped capsicum (bell peppers) and / or whole cloves of garlic.
not hot / small person-friendly - use mild chorizo or non-spicy sausages. You can bake the sausages whole if it's easier than slicing (or crumble the meat out of the casings).
carb-lovers - toss in cooked pasta before serving or serve on a bed of cooked quinoa or brown rice. Also great with Warm tortillas or flat bread for mopping up the juices!
herby - toss in torn basil or parsley before serving.
short on time - bake at your ovens highest setting for 20-30 minutes.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
eggplant – will keep for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer, sliced and rub with oil and grill until soft and browned. Can be frozen if needed.
cherry tomatoes – either halve and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes (180C / 350F) OR just cook in a pan with a little oilve oil. In either case store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks. Or freeze the cooked tomato for longer periods.
chorizo or other spicy sausage - freeze them.
mayonnaise – unopened in pantry or in fridge once opened.
baby spinach / salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.