Roast Aubergine w/ Lentils, Tomatoes and Herbs

This warming dish is easy to make and easy to devour! For me it’s because of the dried spices and fresh herbs that make it extra special, and go so well with the meltingly soft aubergine and crunchy lentils. Lots of prebiotic fibre and phytonutrients to help your gut and its microbiome thrive. Eating plenty of vegetables is so easy if they taste like this! If you don’t have any aubergine you could just as easily swap this for baked sweet potato jackets.
To view the video of me making this dish, head to my YouTube channel here.

1 whole large aubergine/eggplant, approx. 500g, cut into ½ or ¼’s
1 big handful cherry tomatoes or equivalent in chopped tomatoes
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs pine nuts or roughly chopped raw almonds
5 spring onions, chopped
200g cooked lentils
½ tsp each ground cumin, smokey paprika, ground cinnamon (or similar dried spices that you like)
1 tbs tomato puree
1 handful fresh mint and parsley leaves, chopped

Set your oven on to 200ºC regular, 180˚C fan forced.
Rub 1 tablespoon oil, a big pinch of salt and pepper around the cut parts of the aubergine & the cherry tomatoes.
Put the aubergine onto a baking tray and roast in a hot oven for 30 – 40 minutes depending on their thickness, until they are soft. You want the aubergine meltingly soft.
About 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the cherry tomatoes to the roasting tray, & continue to roast.
Meanwhile put 1 tablespoon oil, spring onions, lentils, tomato puree, spices & pine nuts or almonds into a large frypan, on medium heat.
Warm by moving the mixture around for a couple of minutes, allow some of the lentils to crisp on the bottom of the pan so you have some crunchy bits.
Season well with salt & pepper.
Pull the aubergine & tomatoes out of the oven once cooked through.
Arrange them onto two plates & pile the lentil mixture over the top.
Finish by scattering over the fresh herbs.