Aubergine Parmegaro (for weight watchers)

This lovely Italian dish, which you layer (as you would a lasagne), is surprisingly filling it can be used as a side dish or a main. The nice thing is it works well when you have guests because it looks and tastes sensational and certainly seems more than the sum of its parts. Your non-slimming friends can have crusty bread with it. We had it last night with a crisp mixed salad and an oven cooked large portabella mushroom (sprayed with the oil mister) topped with a tsp of caramelised onions and 20 grams of Stilton cheese (use any cheese you like cheddar and brie are both good). All round it was a delicious combination.

You will need

An oil mister

A large ovenproof dish or roasting pan

A griddle pan

Pre heat the oven to 180 or gas mark 4

Ingredients for 6 (works out at 12 points the lot)

1 large or 2 small aubergines

2 Sprays of olive oil from mister (2 points)

100 grams grated Parmesan cheese (10 points)

For the tomato sauce

1 vegetable stock cube

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic

1 red pepper diced

1 tbs. tomato puree

Fresh Basil to taste

Either 3 tins of tomatoes in juice or 2 lbs of fresh tomatoes

A large jar of passata

Seasoning

Method

First make the tomato sauce

1.     Put about half and inch of water in the bottom of a saucepan add a vegetable stock cube bring this to the boil

2.     Add the onions and garlic simmer for a few minutes until the onions are getting soft

3.     Add the red pepper and if you are using fresh tomatoes add them here too and continue to simmer till the pepper is cooked

4.     Add basil and tomato puree

5.     Then if you are using them add the tinned tomatoes

6.     Add the passata

7.     Season to taste with salt and pepper

8.     Simmer gently for about 20 minutes

Whilst the sauce is simmering away deal with the aubergines

1.     Slice the aubergine into slices about ¾ of an inch thick

2.     Lay them on a chopping board and spray them with the oil mister on both sides

3.     Heat up the griddle pan and when it is hot cook the aubergines on both sides

Then construct the dish

1.     Place a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of your oven proof dish

2.     Layer the aubergines on top

3.     Sprinkle with half the Parmesan

4.     Add another layer of tomato sauce

5.     Finish with the remaining parmesan

6.     You can either cook it now for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven or it will keep chilled for up to three days.. it also freezes very well

Caponata (For weight watchers)

This is a Sicilian dish that can be eaten hot as a side dish or stirred through cooked pasta or cold as antipasto. Of course (being Italian) it traditionally would be made with lashings of olive oil… but I'm trying to loose weight… so I have devised a way to do without and it still tastes great if you really cant do without the oil for an extra point a spray from an oil mister at the end of the process would mean you could still taste it… any way enjoy

Ingredients: serves 4…

1 Vegetable stock cube

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

I garlic clove (crushed)

2 medium aubergines (diced into 1 cm cubes)

Large tin chopped tomatoes

A tablespoon of tom puree

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tsp soft brown sugar 

30 g sultanas 

2 tablespoons baby capers

30 g stoned green olives (sliced) 

Seasoning to taste

Method

1.     Pour about half and inch of water into the bottom of a saucepan and crumble the stock cube into it

2.     Bring to the boil and add onions, celery and garlic cover with a lid and sweat until soft

3.     Add the aubergines and continue to cook until they are soft but not soggy

4.     Add the tomatoes and the juice from the can simmer gently for a few minutes to thicken the sauce

5.     Add the vinegar, sugar, sultanas, olives and capers

6.     Cook for about ten minutes

7.     Serve hot either as a side dish or stirred through cooked pasta or cool completely and serve with antipasto