Eggplant involtini with goats’ cheese

Recipe

Vegetarians love this one - such a flavourful combination.

I like to serve it in a few ways – little parcels stuffed and rolled up (involtini) as a nibble or side dish, or like a beautiful main in the centre of the plate in a stack.

You can prepare all the ingredients in advance - bring the eggplant back to room temperature to serve.

A wonderful, easy, midweek meat-free dinner. Or an easy add-on for a vegetarian.

Easily doubled/tripled too.

Serves 2. V. GF.

Pictured: Eggplant involtini with goats’ cheese

1 medium eggplant, sliced into long thin slices for involtini, or thick rounds for a stack – you can sometimes find grilled eggplant slices from a deli ready to go

Olive oil to fry

Salt and pepper

1 roasted capsicum, sliced. You can find very good jars or from a deli or roast your own – as per method below

100g Goat’s cheese – crumbled, or cut into 2 thick slices for the stack

Fresh homemade basil pesto - 2 – 3 tbsp, or substitute with fresh basil leaves ( unless you can find a very good fresh pesto from a deli)

Optional to serve –

Fresh rocket leaves

Vinaigrette - 3 parts Balsamic vinegar to 1 part extra virgin olive oil i.e 30ml vinegar to 10 ml oil

Make the fresh pesto or pick off the fresh basil leaves – the pesto can be used for so many other dishes so it’s worth making the batch.

Slice the jarred/deli roast capsicum or roast your own - blacken the skin over a direct flame or grill large pieces until the skin blackens. Wrap the capsicum in a plastic bag or cover tightly in a bowl – as it steams the skin will separate and make it easy to peel. Once rested and cool enough to handle - remove the peel, stalks, pith and seeds and slice the rest into strips.

Season the eggplant and shallow fry the eggplant with the oil on both sides until nicely browned, this will take 2 minutes each side or so.

Pictured: Eggplant involtini

Assemble the involtini or stacks – place a slice of eggplant on each plate, top with the goat’s cheese, add a few strips of roasted capsicum, and 1 tsp of pesto or some fresh basil leaves. Roll up or add another slice of eggplant and make into a stack.

If serving as a main I like to add the optional salad of rocket with a vinaigrette.

Serve topped with more pesto.

Pictured: Eggplant stack or sandwich as a main