Lynn & Scott's Guide to Training Holiday Nutrition - Part Two: Aubergine, Lentil and Potato Bake

In Portugal at the moment, harvest season is just beginning: tomatoes, peaches, aubergine and butternuts are all coming out of the ground. The grape harvest and wine making are both in full swing and our first rains for months have come, which is a pleasure.

With all the veg available this month we are giving you one of our vegetarian recipes. Keeping vegetarians in race shape was initially a challenge for us, as vegetable proteins are not as easy to make into interesting dishes, but with a little practice it all comes together. In this recipe the lentils are the protein source.

If you’re a meat eater this recipe can work well as a side portion of vegetables - just reduce the volumes to suit.





AUBERGINE, LENTIL AND POTATO BAKE

Ingredients:
2 aubergines
250g brown lentils
4 medium potatoes

1 tin chopped tomato
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tsp mixed herbs
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper

Boil the lentils until cooked, approx. 20min and drain off liquid.  
Add the tomatoes, garlic and seasoning and cook for a few minutes with the lentils.  
Slice potatoes thinly,  pour a kettle of boiling water over them and let rest.  
Slice Aubergine into ¼ cm thick slices,  lay on a rack or tray and sprinkle lightly with salt.  
Heat a frying pan with no oil on the stove and dry fry the aubergine until brown on both sides.

In an oven proof serving dish pour ¼ of the tomato lentil mixture and place layers of Aubergine on top of this, and then a layer of potato.  
Continue to layer the ingredients ending in potatoes.   
Sprinkle the potatoes with olive oil and dust with mixed herbs and ground pepper. 
Cover with foil and bake @180˚C for 40min.

A simple, hearty, vegetarian dish.

All the best.

Lynn and Scott