What’s that? More aubergines? Yes actually, and I make no apologies because this Aubergine and Ricotta Gnocchi Bake is so good that I think we can all forgive if I’ve been a little heavy on the aubergine recipes of late. The key to this dish comes down to two things. Firstly, the aubergine has to be fried beautifully to make sure it’s soft, silky and golden brown. Secondly, adding a handful of cherry tomatoes really transforms the tomato base as it adds a wonderful freshness and sweetness. This is such a delicious vegetarian dish and one that feels at home as much now, in the summer, as it would in the autumn.
Roasted Aubergine and Tomato Pasta
There have been several aubergine themed recipes on the meal plan and blog recently, I just can’t seem to eat enough of them! The combination of aubergine and tomatoes is a hard one to beat, it’s one of my absolute favourites. Even better when the veggies are roasted to intensify the flavour and served with cheese. My roasted aubergine and tomato pasta is the culmination of many attempts to get it just right. Dicing the aubergine up like this not only means a quicker cooking time but more aubergine surface area to soak up all that olive oil.
Tomato, Butterbean and Spinach Pesto Soup
Sometimes I make something like a veggie stew or pasta sauce and realise that it could become a delicious soup with just a little extra water. That’s exactly how this Tomato, Butterbean and Spinach Pesto Soup came about. I had made it as a sauce for baking with gnocchi, similar to this recipe, and I thought it would make a great soup; something a bit different from a normal tomato soup. And I was right. Full of flavour, colour and easy to make from a few ingredients you probably already have in the cupboards.
Roasted Baby Onions with Cheese on Toast
There’s always something leftover at this time of year; some sort of ingredient hanging around in the fridge that needs using up. I’d bought some baby onions for making a boeuf bourguignon and had half the pack left. I thought about slicing them and lightly pickling them but I then realised I also had some leftover cheese. You can never go wrong with cheese and onion so half an hour later we were tucking into roasted baby onions with cheese on toast.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- 12 (ish) baby onions, peeled
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 slices white bread, the crustier the better
- Leftover cheese, grated
Method
Put the onions and rosemary into a baking dish and drizzle over a little oil and salt and pepper. Roll the onions round in the dish so they get well coated in the oil and seasoning.
Harissa Roasted Squash and Red Rice
Sometimes things look tastier than they are and I often find that the reverse is also true. This harissa roasted squash and red rice looks ok, if slightly on the orange side, but trust me when I say it is delicious. Full of colour and flavour, the slight spiciness from the harissa works wonders with the sweet butternut squash. Red rice does take longer to cook than white rice but its nutty wholesomeness is well worth the wait. Bung this oven, sit back and get ready for a taste of autumn; it’s ready faster than you’d think.
Black Bean Quesadillas
I have made these black bean quesadillas a few times and I am always surprised how filling they are! They are deliciously full of black beans, spices and cheese and are really simple to make. You could add different beans, leftover chilli (or maybe leftover vegan chilli) and serve with your favourite dips. I love scooping up a big load of guacamole; but then I am a guacaholic. Sour cream, chilli sauce, salsa or whatever you like would be amazing on the side of these. One quesadilla each might not sound like a lot, but they are seriously filling.
Tomato Baked Feta
Feta’s not just for salads you know. I enjoyed something similar to this tomato baked feta while in Greece a few years ago; I needed to try and make it at home. I have previously posted about some Greek inspired feta and tomato spaghetti (which is delicious by the way) and the key to both of those dishes is using the best tomatoes and feta you can get your hands on. In this case it’s also about baking the tomatoes perfectly; not too hot so that they dry out and not too cool so that they turn into mush.
Squash and Chickpea Tagine
This is actually surprisingly quick to make and I normally have some or most of these ingredients in the kitchen so it’s a great recipe to keep coming back to. My squash and chickpea tagine is a great way to use up some spices and a few tins from the cupboard. The fennel and paprika aren’t perhaps the most traditional tagine ingredients but I really think they add to the sweet squash and earthy chickpeas. If you roasted the squash before adding it I think it would be even tastier. Try and find apricots that aren’t completely dry, when they’re still a little soft they have a beautiful honeyed flavour. A few toasted flaked almonds on the top would give a lovely crunch to the dish.
Vegetarian Fish and Chips (with Halloumi)
This is, probably, one of my absolute favourite meals I have ever made. Not only does it look glorious (excuse self-praising) but it is absolutely delicious. A vegetarian fish and chips if you will; a real rival to that classic seaside dish using halloumi instead of fish. With my recipe there is no crispy batter, however, the outside of the halloumi gets all crispy and wonderful so you really don’t miss it. Plus, as there’s no deep fat frying involved it’s much more suited to a weeknight dinner as there’s no faffing around.