This year for the Easter Holiday I did pretty much nothing. And it was great. With my family being so far away I was unable to go home, so spent the weekend around my new house settling in and doing some cooking. After living in a tiny flat with a subpar interior I feel like I’m in heaven in my new place. There is a living room (seems normal but actually a bit of a luxury in London), a back garden, ample sized kitchen and it’s less than two minutes from the tube station! I think there is strong possibility of becoming a homebody.
This hasselback eggplant is scrumptious and simple to make. Using just a handful of ingredients, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner. Eggplant has a lot to offer in the way of nutrition. It’s high in fiber, Vitamins B1 and B6 and minerals such as copper. Eggplant will help keep you full and satiated and keep you from running to the fridge for a midnight snack.
Ingredients
1 large aubergine
1 white onion
1 C tomato pureé/marinara
1/2 C panko breadcrumbs (GF option)
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 ºF/160 ºC and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Wash and trim ends of eggplant. Cut slices crosswise leaving 1/2-3/4 inch sections, but do not cut all the way through. Leave 1/4-1/2 inch bit at the bottom to keep eggplant together.
Peel the onion and slice in rounds about 1/4 inch thick – you’ll need one for every cut in the eggplant.
Coat onion slices and insert into the slices of the aubergine. They will likely stick out quite far off the top of the eggplant, but they will fall as they roast.
Spoon the tomato puree over the eggplant and onion, being sure to coat the entire surface. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the onion is soft. Check after 15 minutes, you may need to cover with foil if the breadcrumbs and puree are starting to burn.
Top with fresh chopped basil and enjoy!
