Italian Inspired : Aubergine/Eggplant Involtini

Grilled aubergine/eggplant meets rich tomato sauce and creamy ricotta in this classic Italian antipasti. The word Involtini translates to "little bundles" in Italian, which perfectly describes the rolled-up nature of this dish. This recipe is gluten free, nut free and vegetarian.

Ingredients

Serves Four
2 aubergines/eggplants, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
150g/5½oz ricotta cheese
150g/5½oz mozzarella cheese, chopped
1 free-range egg yolk
3 tbsp vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, grated
100g/3½oz piquillo peppers, roughly chopped
small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and shredded
3 tbsp ready-made tomato sauce or passata
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Toss the aubergine/eggplant slices with the olive oil and season well.
2. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. When the pan is hot, grill the aubergine strips for 2 minutes on each side, until slightly browned and tender.
3. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, egg yolk and half the vegetarian hard cheese in a bowl. Stir in the chopped peppers and basil and season well.
4. Lay the aubergine/eggplant strips out on a work surface and spread each one with a teaspoon of tomato sauce. Put a dessert spoon of the cheese mixture at one end and roll up the aubergine.
5. Place the aubergine parcels into an ovenproof baking dish, so they all fit snugly. Sprinkle with the rest of the hard cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, then serve.

From recipe idea seen here

Piquillo Pepper

For a chili pepper that most will only ever see coming out of a jar, the Spanish piquillo pepper (a.k.a. the little beak pepper) packs a real surprising and delicious flavour. They’re sweet peppers with modest heat – near imperceptible – with both smoky and tart undertones. Once experienced, piquillo peppers soon become a kitchen staple – perfect for puréeing into sauces, slicing for sandwiches, and stuffing with cheeses and meats. Look for them jarred in the gourmet food or international sections of your local grocer. More to read here

~ Some beautiful flowers to brighten your day ~

Dear reader, you will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan