Pine nut and fresh herb stuffed aubergine with tomato garlic sauce

This dish is a real crowd pleaser, perfect if you're entertaining. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 4 oz (115g) brown basmati rice
• 6 medium aubergines
• 1 1/2 tbsp rapeseed or other vegetable oil
• 4 oz (115g) celery, chopped small
• 8 oz (225g) carrot, grated
• 1 oz (30g) fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 oz (30g) fresh basil, chopped
• 4 oz (115g) pine nuts, toasted
• 2 oz (55g) ground almonds
• 2 tsp vegetable bouillon
• 1/2 pint (280ml) water

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Cook the rice in boiling water. Drain and set aside.
2. Prick the aubergines and put in a very lightly greased baking tray. Place in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes to soften them.
3. Allow the aubergines to cool a little. Cut in half lengthways and scoop out the middle leaving about 1/2 cm attached to the skin. Place the aubergine shells back in the baking tray and chop the aubergine you scooped out.
4. Heat the oil and gently saute the celery for 10 minutes. Add the carrot and chopped aubergine and saute for a further 5 minutes.
5. Take off the heat and stir in the cooked rice, parsley, basil, pine nuts, ground almonds, vegetable bouillon and water. Keep a little parsley and a few pine nuts back for decoration.
6. Place the rice mixture in the aubergine shells. Cover the dish with foil and place in a preheated oven at 200C/400C/gas mark 6 for 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and pine nuts, and serve with tomato and garlic sauce.