Name: Cheese and aubergine oven bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 4 Tbs olive oil light; 1 onion medium, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 400 can tomatoes chopped; 1 Tbs tomato purée; 1 Tbs dried mixed herbs; 1 pinch sea salt; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 aubergine sliced; widthways into discs 1cm thick; 1 Tbs soy sauce; 100 g goat's milk cheese soft; g mozzarella cheese chopped; 120 g goat's milk cheese cheddar or mature cheddar cheese, grated; 1 handful fresh basil chopped

Recipe Disclaimer

Tap for method

Ingredients (15)

4 Tbs	olive oil — light
1	onion — medium, finely chopped
2	garlic — cloves, finely chopped
400 can	tomatoes — chopped
1 Tbs	tomato purée
1 Tbs	dried mixed herbs
1 pinch	sea salt
	freshly ground black pepper — to taste
2	aubergine — sliced
	widthways into discs 1cm thick
1 Tbs	soy sauce
100 g	goat's milk cheese — soft
g	mozzarella cheese — chopped
120 g	goat's milk cheese — cheddar or mature cheddar cheese, grated
1 handful	fresh basil — chopped

Tap for ingredients

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

First make the tomato sauce:
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and gently sauté the chopped onion until
softened and slightly golden brown in colour — about 8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, mixed herbs, a small pinch of sea salt and some black pepper to taste. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the soy sauce and a pinch of mixed herbs.

Lightly brush both sides of each aubergine slice with the olive oil mixture.

Sauté the slices in batches in a large non-stick frying pan, cooking for 3–4 minutes until golden brown.

Spread a third of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a medium baking dish. On top of this place a layer of aubergine slices and then spoon 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce over each aubergine disc.

Scatter with crumbled pieces of the soft goat’s cheese followed by a layer of aubergine.

Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the aubergine slices and, finally, scatter the basil leaves and grated Cheddar on top.

Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the tomato sauce and cheese are bubbling and the cheese is lightly brown on top.

Reprinted with permission of Mary McCartney.