2 large eggplants
lots of salt and pepper
2 zucchinis
3 tbs olive oil, plus more
to brush
1 fennel bulb, fi nely chopped
3 red capsicum, deseeded,
roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tsp smoked paprika
3 x 400g cans of chopped
tomatoes
2 tbs tomato puree
280g jar of sun-dried tomatoes
in oil (170g drained weight),
drained and chopped
a few sprigs of thyme
1 tsp chilli fl akes
100g hazelnuts
fi nely grated zest of 1
unwaxed lemon
25g fl at-leaf parsley, leaves
picked and fi nely chopped
CHEESY SAUCE
200g butternut pumpkin
(about one-third of a
pumpkin)
150g cashew nuts, soaked in
water for at least 4 hours,
then drained
2 tbs nutritional yeast
3 tsp tamari
tsp cayenne pepper
(optional)
juice of 1 lemon
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C
(fan-forced 160°C).
2 Slice the eggplants lengthways
into slices roughly 5mm thick,
place on two baking trays in a
single layer, sprinkle liberally with
salt, and set aside to let water
draw out. Slice the zucchinis
lengthways into 5mm slices, too.
3 Place a griddle pan over a high
heat. Brush it with olive oil and
start griddling the zucchini slices.
Lay them on gently and leave
them until you can see the
griddle lines coming through the
top side. Set aside. Keep going
until all the zucchinis are done.
4 Get started on your tomato
sauce. Heat about 3 tablespoons
of olive oil in a large non-stick
frying pan and add the chopped
fennel with salt and pepper.
Sauté for about 3 minutes over
a medium heat before adding the
capsicum and garlic, and sauté
for another 3 minutes before
adding the paprika, stirring to
coat. Now tip in the canned
tomatoes, tomato puree,
sun-dried tomatoes, thyme and
chilli fl akes. Let this simmer and
reduce for at least 20 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, using kitchen
paper, brush o the salt and
water from the eggplant slices,
and start griddling on the hot
griddle. (Make sure you have
your extractor fan on! It gets
quite smoky.)
6 Griddle for about 1 minute
each side, and set aside. Once
the eggplants are all done, the
sauce should have reduced by
one-third, look glossy and coat
the back of a spoon nicely. If this
is so, you can start assembling
the bake. Check the sauce for
seasoning and add more salt
and pepper, if needed.
7 Place the hazelnuts on a
shallow roasting tray and roast
for 7-10 minutes, so that they turn
golden. Set aside to cool. Take
a lasagne dish and put a layer of
eggplant on the bottom, followed
by a layer of tomato sauce, then
a layer of zucchini and keep
layering until everything is used
up, fi nishing with a layer of the
tomato sauce.
8 Cover with foil and place in
the middle shelf of the oven
for 30 minutes.
9 Now make your cheesy sauce
by peeling, roughly chopping
and steaming the butternut
pumpkin for 15 minutes. Then
simply blend all the ingredients in
a high-speed blender until totally
smooth, seasoning very well.
10 Remove the foil from the
bake, pour over the sauce and
cook for another 10 minutes.
11 Meanwhile, chop the hazelnuts
and mix in a bowl with the lemon
zest and parsley.
12 Remove the bake from the
oven, sprinkle half of the herby
nut mixture over the top, and
take it to the table to serve. Put
the rest of the hazelnut mixture in
a bowl on the table so people can
add extra should they want it.Tomato & eggplant bake
SERVES Keep lemons after you have
zested them to slice and use
in drinks, such as in a big jug
of water for the table.94 womensfitness.com.au womensfitnessaustralia @womensfitnessmag @womensfitnessau