Thanks to Domini Kemp for sharing this recipe which I immediately liked for it’s nutritious ingredients.
Aubergines are an excellent source of dietary fiber and this recipe works well as a lunchtime option because it’s full of protein from the chickpeas helping to keep you fuller for longer. You also won’t get that post lunch slump as it’s very low in carbohydrates and a low carb option is good too if you want to loose some weight. Research has also found aubergines to be high in an anthocyanin flavonoid called nasunin – a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger, it helps to protect our cell membranes from damage!
This recipe serves two so I made it one evening to have the following day for lunch. It was so yummy I had it two days in a row! No need to heat, I found it fine served cold.
Ingredients (for 2)
1 aubergine, sliced into 1 cm-thick rounds
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
half tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin seeds
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas 4
- Brush the aubergine well with olive oil, season and sprinkle with half the rosemary and the garlic.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and just tender, making sure to turn them halfway through.
- Blitz half the cooked aubergines together with half the chickpeas in a blender with olive oil, the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice if it’s not tangy enough.
- Meanwhile, roast the remainder of the chickpeas in the oven with the cumin, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, for about 10 – 15 minutes.
To serve: place a generous blob of the smash on top of the sliced, cooked aubergine and sprinkle with the oven-roasted chickpeas.