I thought we would try something a little different especially with the kids being at their Nana and Grandad's this week. This recipe caught my eye in the current Woolworths Good Taste Magazine. While both Noel and I adore meat, I decided it would be nice to have a vegetarian meal other than a meat free pasta - you know be a little adventurous and a tad exotic?
The reason this caught my eye is because it has two of my favourite vegetables - eggplant and sweet potato!! And it also gave me a good excuse to use my chargrill cast iron plate!! Not to mention the recipe called for spinach.... mmmmmmm!
To be totally honest I must say I was a little worried that it wouldn't be enjoyed but I couldn't have been any more wrong. It was delicious and very fillilng - one stack was definitely enough each and it will be on the menu again for sure.... I even thought of making smaller stacks to serve as an entree! See that's how much I liked it I am in the process of planning how and when to cook it next!!
Chargrilled Vegetable Stacks
(recipe source Woolworths Good Taste September 2009)
Serves: 4
Points per serve: 2.5
olive oil spray
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 x 400 gram can no added salt diced tomatoes
1 small eggplant (about 300 grams)
300g sweet potato (kumara), peeled
1 large zucchini, ends trimmed
250g low fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
75 grams baby spinach leaves
fresh basil leaves, to serve
mixed salad leaves, to serve
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Cut eggplant lengthways into 4 x 1cm thick slices. Cut sweet potato lengthways into 4 x 5mm thick slices. Cut zucchini diagonally into 8 x 5mm thick slices.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring , for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill or bbq on high. Spray the eggplant, sweet potato and zucchini with olive oil spray. Cook the eggplant and sweet potaot on grill in 2 batches for 1 - 2 minutes or until almost tender and lightly charred. Transfer to a plate. Cook the zucchini on grill for 1 - 2 minutes or until almost tender and lightly charred. Transfer to the plate.
Combine the cottage cheese, chopped basil and lemon rind in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup (125ml) of the tomato mixture over the base of a rectangular 3 litre (12 cup) capacity baking dish. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on top. Divide half the cottage cheese mixture between the eggplant slices and top with half of the spinach. Next layer the sweet potato on top of the spinach. Spread with the remaining cottage chese and reamining spinach. Top with zucchini.
Cut eggplant lengthways into 4 x 1cm thick slices. Cut sweet potato lengthways into 4 x 5mm thick slices. Cut zucchini diagonally into 8 x 5mm thick slices.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring , for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill or bbq on high. Spray the eggplant, sweet potato and zucchini with olive oil spray. Cook the eggplant and sweet potaot on grill in 2 batches for 1 - 2 minutes or until almost tender and lightly charred. Transfer to a plate. Cook the zucchini on grill for 1 - 2 minutes or until almost tender and lightly charred. Transfer to the plate.
Combine the cottage cheese, chopped basil and lemon rind in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup (125ml) of the tomato mixture over the base of a rectangular 3 litre (12 cup) capacity baking dish. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on top. Divide half the cottage cheese mixture between the eggplant slices and top with half of the spinach. Next layer the sweet potato on top of the spinach. Spread with the remaining cottage chese and reamining spinach. Top with zucchini.
Top with the remaining tomato mixture and season with pepper. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Divide the vegetable stacks among serving plates and spoon over the tomato mixture from the pan. Sprinkle with the extra basil leaves and serve with mixed salad leaves.
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