Cinnamon and Ground Fennel Aubergine
Song recommendations:
Otra Noche Sin Ti - J Balvin & Khalid
Rare - Frances
Ingredients: Aubergine
1 large aubergine
300ml tomato passata
500ml water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground fennel (PT: erva doce, moída)
Ingredients: Rice
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup rice, 1 cup water
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp bean liquid
1/2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 can haricot/pinto beans (PT: feijão manteiga)
Recipe:
Star the aubergine. There is a quick video demo below on a cucumber, but the method is exactly the same for the aubergine. Start at the top and work your way down.
In a measuring jug, combine all the remaining ingredients for the aubergine’s sauce (tomato passata, water, olive oil, cinnamon and ground fennel).
Lay the aubergine stars in a pan and pour the tomato liquid over the top.
Turn on a medium heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, occasionally overturning the stars to ensure they cook all the way through.
Start the rice: wash it thoroughly, peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves and drain the liquid from the beans but keep it!
On a low heat, gently fry the garlic in the olive oil. Add the rice and stir well, ensuring everything is evenly coated in oil.
Add the water, pinch of salt and the 4 tbsp of bean liquid. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook for about 12 mins.
Add the tomato paste and beans, and continue cooking if not yet finished.
Serve with chopped fresh parsley.
How to star a fruit or vegetable:
Holding your fruit or vegetable in one hand, and a knife in the other, gently cut out a zig-zag pattern around the fruit/veg.
Make sure you go as deep into the fruit as possible, at least right through to the centre.
Continue cutting until your zig-zag rejoins where you started cutting.
Lift off your star and repeat all the way down the vegetable.
Note: if you’re doing this on something like a kiwi, it’s best to just star it at the half-way point to get two stars, as opposed to trying to get various. Getting more than one star out of a single piece of fruit or veg is easier on something like a cucumber or an aubergine.
A Bite Out of Life
No table…? No problem!
Introducing the all new, innovative way to eat when you don’t have a garden set of tables and chairs to hand: an ironing table.
With all the standard functions of a table, like a sturdy top and a couple of legs, this also has the added bonus of adjustable height settings and easy folding for storage.
Don’t have an ironing board? Okay, can’t really help you with that one unfortunately… maybe just sit on the floor until your loan or paycheck come in. Good luck!
