Couscous-filled Aubergine halves with roasted cherry tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Ingredients for the sauce:
800 g cherry tomatoes
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
½ unrefined brown sugar
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
500g ripe tomatoes, plum tomatoes if possible
zest of half an orange
25g fresh mint (small bunch)
Salt and milled black pepper

Method:

Chop the cherry tomatoes in half. Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and place them in a baking tray.
Roast in the oven until they are soft and caramelized, 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the tomatoes must be skinned. Cut an X into the skin of each tomato. Place them in a bog bowl, pour boiling water over them. After about a minute, drain the water and remove the skins. Chop them in quarters.
Blend the skinned tomatoes, adding 100 ml of water.
Slowly brown the onion, garlic and the brown sugar in a large pot over a medium heat.
Cover with a lid and sweat for 10 minutes.
Add the spices and stir for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The heat will bring out the intense flavor of the dry spices.
Then, pour in the blended tomatoes, grated zest of an orange, add a little salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
When the roasted tomatoes are soft and sticky, add them and the pan juices.
Set this aside, the fresh mint will be added later.

Ingredients for the Aubergine:(makes 6-8 portions)

4 medium aubergines
250g couscous
100g flaked almonds, toasted1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400 g spinach, washed and drained
30 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
200g fresh or frozen peas
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and milled black pepper

Method:

Half the aubergines lengthwise and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh. Keep the flesh for a delicious treat called baba ghanoush- roast aubergine dip.
Brush the whole aubergine, inside and out, with olive oil and roast in the oven until they are starting to soften.
When the aubergines are done, reduce your oven temperature to 180 degrees.
Place the dry couscous in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and add 300 ml of boiling water. Wrap with cling film and allow to stand for 10 minutes. When cooked, fluff with a fork and add a knob of butter.
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil into a big frying pan. Fry the garlic, onion on a low heat until translucent, then add the spinach leaves in two batches and quickly fry until they are wilted.
Combine all the ingredients of the stuffing in a large mixing bowl: the couscous, the toasted almonds, the wilted spinach, the frozen peas, onion and garlic.
Add the chopped coriander and season with salt and black pepper.
Fill each aubergine half with the couscous, cover the tray with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
When you’re ready to serve, reheat your sauce, add freshly chopped mint and generously spoon the sauce over each aubergine.

Babe Ghanoush (roast aubergine dip)

Ingredients:

500g aubergine flesh
2 cloves of garlic
5 sprigs of fresh parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tbsp tahini (Sesame seed paste)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tsp dukka (optional)

Method:

Toss the aubergine flesh in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven until soft.
Allow the aubergine to cool completely.
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and a teaspoon of dukka.
Serve with warm pita bread or a selection of crudités: carrot, celery, florets of broccoli and cucumber – perfect for a picnic.

Mushroom Phyllo Parcels

This recipe is a celebration of wild mushrooms– a crispy phyllo pocket bursting with creamy leeks, delicate spinach and a variety of exotic mushrooms from your local market. Serve it as an evening apperitif or with a seasonal salad, as a light lunch.

I’ve only recently discovered the diverse variety of the mushrooms now farmed in South Africa. It seems our South African palate is growing an appreciation for the exotic edible fungi of the Far East. The flavours of Golden Chanterelle, with their fruity aroma of apricot, smokey Shiitake and the nutty, earthy flavours of Porcini mushrooms are so inspiring, I can’t help but conjure up adventurous combinations.

For a simple dish that really allows you to appreciate the unique textures and flavours of our locally grown mushrooms, fry your choice of wild mushrooms in a little butter, with a sprinkle of salt to bring out the delicate flavours. Toss the mushrooms with fresh egg tagliatelle, good quality olive oil and shavings of parmesan cheese for a simple, but delicious spring lunch.

Tips:
When storing mushrooms don’t keep them in plastic or a sealed bag. Store them uncovered in the fridge with as much airflow around them as possible – a brown paper bag or clean muslin cloth works well.
Before cooking simply wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to avoid getting their spongy flesh absorbing too much water.
When frying mushrooms, make sure the pan is very hot, don’t add too much olive oil and fry small quantities as a time, to prevent them from getting soggy.
Fresh herbs that compliment mushrooms are parsley, thyme, rosemary and fresh or dry tarragon.

Mushroom, leek and Spinach Phyllo Parcels
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 leeks
300g mushrooms (Portobello and a variety of wild mushrooms)
400g spinach leaves
100-150 ml cream
2 bay leaves
Few sprigs of fresh thyme
25g fresh tarragon/Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
6 sheets of phyllo pastry
100 ml white wine
Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper


Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Slice the leaks lengthways, wash them very well and cut them finely.
Use a damp cloth or piece of kitchen towel to wipe the mushrooms clean, if necessary.
If using regular spinach, wash and remove the stalks.
Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pot on a medium heat; add the onions, garlic, thyme and one bay leaf. Stir briefly, reduce the heat and cover with a lid until the onions are soft and translucent. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Cook the mushrooms in two batches in a large frying pan with not too much oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the bowl.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and sauté the leeks with a little salt, a bay leaf and a grating of nutmeg. When the leeks are hot, add the white wine. Cook the leeks until they are soft and most of the wine has evaporated. Add the leeks to the mushrooms and the onions.
Wilt the spinach in a hot pan in two batches and add this to the vegetable mix.
Add the chopped tarragon and 100 ml of cream, give it a good mix, and if needed, add the extra 50 ml of cream.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the parcels, lay two sheets of phyllo pastry out on a working surface and cut into strips approximately 10 cm wide.
For each strip (parcel), brush the whole bottom layer with melted butter and place the other pastry layer on top. Spoon your filling on the bottom end of the strip. Fold the bottom corner diagonally over to the opposite edge. Then fold the triangularly shaped parcel again to the opposite side, continue to the end of the pastry strip. Brush the parcels with butter and bake for 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
Serve warm.