Baked Aubergine Stuffed with Tomatoes & Feta

Time to knuckle down at start eating some lean cuisine after two blow out weekends, and get this wedding diet back on track!!! This recipe is super low in fat, yet still very tasty with all the fresh herbs in it, with the (surprise) feta cheese giving it a creamy indulgent dimension.
This dish can be eaten as a side for two people or for a main meal for one person with a crisp green salad.
If you wanted to indulge a little more, then you could add toasted pine nuts to the filling, and sprinkle the stuffed aubergines with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan prior to baking.

Serves 1 as a main

Ingredients

• 1 aubergine, halved length ways
• 3 diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp of tomato puree
• 1 pinch of fresh thyme leaves
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4-5 mushrooms, finely diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped basil, mint and parsley
• 50g low fat feta cheese
• Salt/pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Scoop out the flesh of the aubergine, and chop finely, leave a 1 cm layer around the outside of the aubergine
3. Place the aubergine halves skin side up, on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling
4. Heat a wok or frying pan on med-high heat
5. Add the oil, garlic and onion, thyme and stir for 2-3 mins
6. Add the chopped aubergine flesh, mushrooms and tomatoes, and the tomato paste
7. Stir this for a few minutes, add a drop or 2 of water if the mixture gets too dry.
8. Season well at this stage with salt and pepper
9. Add the chopped herbs and stir
10. Add the feta cheese cubed, mix carefully so as not to break up the cheese too much
11. Spoon into the hollow aubergine halves and bake for 15 minutes.

I actually had extra filling leftover, so I halved a red pepper and stuffed it with the remaining filling, and baked it along with the aubergine, and thats lunch time tomorrow sorted too!!!!

To give this recipe a zingy kick, add the juice of half a lemon, or to intensify the heat, add a pinch of chili flakes or half a deseeded chopped red chili.