Eggplant sandwich with goats cheese

A simple and really tasty, plus good looking, vegetarian dish. You can prepare all the ingredients in advance and serve when you are ready – bring the eggplant back to a warm temperature or at least room temp.  The texture and freshness of the eggplant is best served hot however if you can.

A wonderful midweek meat-free dinner.

You can easily double and triple this recipe to feed more as well.

Pictured: Eggplant sandwich with goats cheese

1 medium eggplant, sliced into thick slices

1 red capsicum

2 thick slices of goat’s cheese, at room temperature

1 tbsp basil pesto, or torn fresh basil leaves

Vinaigrette - 3 parts Balsamic vinegar to 1 part extra virgin olive oil i.e 30ml vinegar to 10 ml oil

Rocket to serve

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let stand for half an hour to remove the bitter juices – pat dry.

You can either buy some roasted capsicum from a deli or in a jar, or roast a fresh one -  blacken the skin over a direct flame, or grill large pieces until the skin blackens – wrap the capsicum in a plastic bag or cover tightly in a bowl – as it steams the skin will separate and make it easy to peel. Once rested and cool enough to handle -  remove the peel, stalks, pith and seeds and slice the rest into strips.

Shallow fry the eggplant on both sides until nicely browned, this will take a 2 minutes each side or so.

Mix the vinaigrette together.

Assemble the sandwiches – place a slice of eggplant on each plate, top with a slice of goat’s cheese, add a few strips of roasted capsicum, and 1 tsp of pesto or some fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette,  add a little rocket, and sandwich another slice of eggplant.

Serve topped with more pesto and rocket, plus another sprinkle of vinaigrette.

Serves 2