Cheese Aubergine with Schardinger Baronesse

Veggy Malta looks at a simple recipe you can make at home or even when out on a BBQ. It can be served as a starter or as the main meal. If you want to make a main meal out of this Cheese Aubergine dish you should add a mixed salad with it.

It really is a simple recipe based with aubergines taking the centre stage. There are two versions of the same recipe (slightly modified) that you can use either on the BBQ or at home in the oven. The other main ingredient is the cheese, which are Schardinger Baronesse slices. This low fat Austrian cheese is suitable for vegetarians as it uses microbial rennet in it’s production.

Cooking instructions for the Cheese Aubergine (BBQ)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Cut 2 slices of aubergine / eggplant 1 cm thick for every person.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with some soy sauce and some mixed herbs.
4. Brush the aubergine on both sides with the oil mix.
5. Place the slices in a large non-stick tray and put in the oven.
6. Turn the aubergines every 5 minutes (until golden brown).
7. Once golden brown place one slice of Schardinger Baronesse on each aubergine.
8. Once it starts to melt add the cherry tomatoes.
9. After one minute take them out of the over.
10. add some fresh basil leaves on them.

Ingredients for the Cheese Aubergine (home oven)

• Aubergine cut into 1 cm slices (2 slices per person)
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Mixed herbs
• Schardinger Baronesse slices
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil

Now for a slightly more elaborate version that you can use at home in the oven.

Cooking instructions for the Cheese Aubergine (home oven)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Prepare the tomato sauce.
3. Put some olive oil in a saucepan and heat.
4. Add some chopped onions and fry until they just start to go brown.
5. Throw in some finely chopped garlic, with some canned tomatoes, some polpa, mixed herbs, some black pepper (to taste) and a pinch of sea salt.
6. Stir and let the mixture simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Cut 2 slices of aubergine / eggplant 1 cm thick for every person.
8. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with some soy sauce and some mixed herbs.
9. Brush the aubergine on both sides with the oil mix.
10. Place the slices in a large non-stick tray and put in the oven.
11. Turn the aubergines after 5 minutes.
12. Add a third of the tomato mixture to a non-stick baking tray.
13. Place the aubergines on top of the mixture.
14. Pour some of the tomato mixture over the aubergines.
15. Place one slice of Schardinger Baronesse on each aubergine.
16. Pour on the remaining tomato mixture on the Schardinger Baronesse cheese.
17. Bake for around 15 minutes until the tomatoes mixture is bubbling.
18. Take out and add some fresh basil leaves on them.

Ingredients for the Cheese Aubergine (home oven)

• Aubergine cut into 1 cm slices (2 slices per person)
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• A can of tomatoes
• Tomato polpa
• 2 garlic gloves finely chopped every 4 slices of aubergines
• Black pepper
• Sea salt
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Mixed herbs
• Schardinger Baronesse slices
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil