Take a seat, avocado. The mighty aubergine is having a moment, and that moment is going to take us all the way to 2017.
What’s funny though (or worrying, whichever way you want to look at it), is that I for one know very little about this particular food item. Well, besides knowing that our friends over in America call it an eggplant and that it probably has only become so popular through it’s use as an emoji. Turns out the aubergine is actually a fruit. Nevertheless, it’s widely regarded as a vegetarian stable because it’s so filling and has a bit of a meaty texture to it. They’re also super cheap to buy and pretty straight forward to cook with, which gets all the thumbs up from us.
The foodie powers that be have it tipped to be the next big thing http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/say-goodbye-to-the-avocado-why-aubergines-are-next-big-superfood/ so to get you ahead of the game, here are some easy, totally do-able aubergine recipies to try out for your dinner.
Vegetarian stuffed aubergines
Time: 1 hour
Don’t fancy another jacket potato for dinner? Here’s your alternative. Think of it as the aubergine equivalent to potato skins and damn do they look tasty. The recipe on the Lazy Cat Kitchen recommends serving with a sprinkling of roasted pine nuts if you’re feeling fancy.
Oven baked aubergine chips
Time: 15 mins
Everything is better in chip form. It just is. These ones on the A Life Of Geekery blog are exceptionally easy to whip up when you’re craving something to snack on but can’t be bothered to walk to the chippy. These chips were made for dipping, but we totally wouldn’t blame you if you skipped making one and opted for a dollop of Greek yogurt or mayo on its own.
Aubergine brownies, yes brownies. As in the chocolate ones
Time: 40 mins
I know, no freaking way right? But it’s true, they are a thing. They actually sound really good and you can absolutely strike off one of your five a day while eating a brownie. Kind of. From what we can gather from this Abel & Cole recipe, the aubergine seem to replace flour in your average brownie recipe. Still goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream though.
Roasted aubergine pasta
Time: 20 mins
If anything says mid-week dinner, it’s this. Super comforting food from fridge to mouth in no time. While the aubergine and tomatoes are roasting, boil up some pasta and bobs your uncle, dinner is served. The A Life of Geekery recipe uses spaghetti but you can totally just throw in whatever pasta shapes you’ve got left in the cupboard.
Simple homemade baba ganoush
Time: 25 mins
No grill, no gas, no nothing. All you need to follow Minimalist Baker’s recipe is a functioning oven and five ingredients. The result? A super impressive Mediterranean vegan and gluten free snack you and your mates can smugly tuck into when you’re bored of that special offer on hummus that is literally always on. Just add chopped carrots.
Tomato and aubergine curry
Time: 1 hour
Never has a curry been so easy to make. All of the ingredients listed in Madeline Shaw’s recipe are easy enough to find if you don’t already have them. While the cooking time might be a while, minimum effort is involved, honest. A chop here, a fry there, and a good old simmer and then you’ve got a curry fit for a queen.
Simple baked aubergine with tomato and pesto
If you’re one of those people who has a habit of firing up the oven and then deciding you’re not really hungry anymore mid-bake, this one’s for you. Jules on five ingredient recipe blog, The Stone Soup, says that this dish reheats really well so you can make a big batch and save it for laters.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.