Meeting the cousins

Hi guys

This weekend I flew up north with the baby so he could meet his maternal aunt and uncle and the cousins.  I was rather nervous for a couple of reasons: 1) babies and planes don't mix 2) no dad for 5 days, so no one to give baby to for an hour to get some much needed nappage myself 3) major changes and babies also don't mix (his sleeping pattern took a serious knock) and 4) and this is the biggest one of them all: my sister-in-law is a PHENOMENAL cook, and I don't take throwing around complements like that lightly, as a product of my own culinary vanity.

I was absolutely terrified of this last part.  Bracing myself, I made the trip up north and was greeted at the airport by a svelter-than-usual looking sister-in-law, which of course prompted me to ask - what is going on?  The answer came as music to my ears, I could practically hear Julie Andrews bellowing "The hills are alive with the sound of music" out over the pick-up and go parking.  She had given up wheat and sugar.  I was safe.

We had a discussion about the new way we ate and it turns out she lost 5 kg in a month and a half by just eliminating wheat and sugar - she still had any other kind of carbohydrate, and still indulges in her drug of choice - the humble potato: mashed, boiled, but especially deep fried.  Her story just reminded me of exactly how toxic sugar and gluten are. 
I do also believe that each person has a carbohydrate threshold, if I ate things like potato chips, I'd almost certainly pile on the weight, which is not true in her case.  Like her, I think we all need to push the limits and see what works for us.

So, recipe time.  I've been eating a lot of aubergine lately.  Now that I'm eating fats again, aubergine is just the most wonderful thing in the world.  You simply can't prepare a good aubergine without a good glug of oil.

I have no idea what to call this recipe, but I've been making it for some time now.  And over the course of this weekend, the two of us just took it to a whole new level.

Aubergine and tomato tray-bake

• 2 medium sized aubergines or about 300g of those dwarf ones (my fav) - sliced or in the case of the little ones, halved
• the same amount of tomatoes - peeled and sliced thickly
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 2 rounds of feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

 

Place the aubergines and tomatoes on a baking tray or large oven proof dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Douse with a good amount of olive oil - I use at least a 1/3 of a cup.  Season with salt and pepper and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes, turning the veggies halfway through.  They should look nice and caramelised.  Crumble the feta over and put back in the oven for a final 5 minutes.  Now sprinkle over the vinegar and stir gently with a spatula and garnish with a handful of toasted pine nuts.

 

 

I have one more aubergine recipe up my sleeve, but I have to make it myself first (something I ate in a restaurant)

 

I hope you enjoy this one!

 

God bless

Janie B