Nutritious eggplant, tomato and white bean bake

This nutritious eggplant, tomato and white bean bake is a great option for vegetarians or those keen for a meat-free day. 100g of white beans are an excellent source of protein provide approximately 25 percent of the daily recommended intake of fibre for adult females.

Serves:  6 as a side dish
Preparation time:  40 minutes 
Cooking time:  30 minutes

You will need

2 medium eggplants
1 cup plain flour
Vegetable oil, to shallow fry eggplant
185g McKenzie’s White Beans
1kg vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small bunch basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
125g mozzarella cheese, shredded
McKenzie’s sea salt
McKenzie’s whole black peppercorn, to taste 

Method

1 Prepare and cook the beans as per directions on pack.  Drain thoroughly.  Set aside.

2 Meanwhile, peel eggplants, slice thinly and sprinkle with salt.  Put into a colander, place over a bowl and leave for 30 minutes.   

3 Meanwhile, add tomatoes to the frypan and cook, stirring frequently until soft (approx 10 minutes).  Stir in basil, garlic and tomato paste.  Season to taste.  Set aside.

4 Rinse eggplant slices in cold water and drain thoroughly.  Pat eggplant dry with paper towel.  Sprinkle lightly with flour.  Heat oil in frypan and place a layer of eggplant slices in the pan, cooking until golden brown on both sides.  Remove from the pan and set aside until all eggplant slices are cooked.

5 Preheat oven to 180°C.

6 Place a small amount of tomato sauce covering the bottom of a shallow baking dish.  Cover with a layer of eggplant slices slightly overlapping each other, then half the beans.  Sprinkle half of both cheeses.  Top with tomato sauce, another layer of eggplant, beans, remaining sauce then finish with a final layer of eggplant and sprinkle remaining cheeses evenly on top.

7 Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until cheese turns golden brown. 

Recipe courtesy of McKenzie's Foods.