I have an aubergine to use but I don't really know what to do with it...something with feta?

[redhappy]

I eat a lot of courgettes but not so keen on aubergines. Do I cook them the same way?

I was thinking fry it up with some onions, chuck in some seasoning, then stick feta on the top to serve. Have some bulgar wheat and cabbage to go with it.

Will this work? Any tips?

Chop like potato chips and gently fry with a bit of oil. It helps to put salt to get water out to help cooking so it will not end up oily. Put a clove of garlic chopped and keep stirring than add two tbs of vinegar and when vinegar evaporates, its ready. If it needs more time but the vinegar has evaporated add a little bit of water. It is very quick to make and jut delicious with bread or as side dish. Have fun!!

parmagiana (no idea how to spell it!) - layer with ham and tomato sauce like the base for a pasta sauce, crumble the feta on the top and back in the oven. Tis lovely!

I love how you just have an aubergine like it has arrived in your presence with no involvement from you.. Just tickled me.

I often bake them:

Cut into slices lenthwise. Put into colander (over sink or bowl) and sprinkle salt on both sides. Apx half an hour later, give a quick rinse to get rid of excess salt and pat dry.

Put on baking tray and squirt both sides with olive oil (I use a spray, it's so much easier than when I used a spoon and bottle). Bake on apx 180C for 10m each side. Add salad or pasta (or both - we use this in a pasta caponata variation, with tagliatelle, onion, courgette, capers and tomatoes - DD loves).

Alternatively, for something quick, halve the aubergine, bake for half an hour, scoop out the mushy insides and blend with some garlic, a squirt of lemon (and a little natural yoghurt if you need more moisture) - presto, baba ganoush! Eat as you would hummus.

throw it in the bin

horrible slimy spongiform vileness

they taste likt fag butts

You have to do loads to them to render them edible. Whoever said they were food?

Recycle it.

Peel it with a potato peeler (only very ripe aubergines from southern europe are worth eating with their peel on).
Cut it into small cubes.
Gently fry it with lots of garlic and a nice red onion.
Add pine kernels, capers (if you like them) and lots of mint. Use it to dress spaghetti (or penne)

It was 39p in Lidl foureleven I'm a sucker for a bargain!

Some great suggestions thanks everyone!

I think I could do the first one ( mw27 ) with homemade houmous for lunch sometime. Going to try franca's tonight though I think.

Oh, and if you do have feta cheese, grate it on top of the pasta!
I love aubergines!

Yep, went and bought feta after my first post. Also bought fishfingers for the kids, so can make dinner exactly how I like it tonight!

I chop up aubergine with courgette and red onion and roast them all, and then stir all that through couscous. You can add some salad dressing or tsatsiki or natural yoghurt if you wish.

Very nice on it's own, or it goes really well with grilled meat. I often do it for a BBQ, especially if there is lam involved.

Oh yum, that sounds good, will try that sometime too.

I love aubergines, I chop them (skin on) and roast them in a bit of olive oil and a dust of salt for an hour or so, then eat them. As they are. For a snack. Then I refrigerate them and eat them cold as a snack. But that's just me.

The very seedy ones do have a bit of a 'taste' though, funny whoever it was mentioned fag butts, they do actually contain nicotine (albeit teeny tiny amounts).

one word: moussaka! yum

this is from a nigel slater book.

Slice lenghthways into thirds. Brush both sides with loads of olive oil and bake until soft.

season, then brush with black olive paste/ tapenade and then top with feta.

Back under the grill until the feta melts.

Serve with a salad.

I've done this loads, it's very yummy.

lam?

lamb

spread with tapenade not brush.

Also, it's nice if you let the skin get a bit burnt and crispy.

I love aubergine! Aubergine bake, moussaka, stuffed aubergine, ymmm.

For stuffed aubergine, slice in half, score cris cross almost through to skin, drizzle with olive oil, bake in oven for 45 minutes.
Whilst it's cooking fry up minced beef, red onion, garlic, fresh basil, chopped tomatoes.

Take out, scoop out middle and mix with other ingredients. Grate parmesan on top and pop back in oven.

Cut it in half and grill it. Then spread red pesto on top of each side and slices of goats cheese and back under the grill.
Serve with side salad.
It's a surprisingly filling vegetarian meal which my husband and I love...and neither of us are vegetarians!!!

with the food processor make a paste from the feta cheese, olive oil, garlic, oregano
cut the aubergine in thin slices and layer in an oven proof dish with the feta paste in between.
mix one egg and pour over.
grate some cheese on top.
bake in the oven for about half an hour with lid, another 10 min without to brown the cheese.

was served to me as vegetarian moussaka once.

Slice it dip it in batter seasoned with curry powder salt pepper etc then fry.

Of course I am the size of a whale...

They are fab in curry because they absorb lots of spices (and lots of oil/ghee). Yum.

Chop into cubes, sprinkle with salt, in colander with bowl underneath and small plate weighted with a couple of tins on top.

Leave for 30 mins or so, rinse very well, dry in clean tea towel.

Toss in a little olive oil and roast in 180 degree oven for about 25 mins, turn halfway.

That way they get properly cooked and squidgy, nothing worse than underdone aubergine.

Then one of my favourites is to add that to some basic tomato sauce in a pan, add some washed basmatic rice, a little cumin and a little allspice (also nice with some chilli or smoked paprika for a different flavour), season then add stock or water.

Put a circle of damp greaseproof paper on top and cook on high heat for 5 mins then low heat for further 5 mins. Then turn off and leave for another 2 mins. Lovely tomato aubergine pilaf, dead easy and delicious with grilled lamb or chicken (even better with a big spoon of houmous or greek yoghurt and small flat leaf parsley).