Here is more on the vegetable creativity challenge. This is a favourite of mine: roasted stuffed aubergines. It’s easy to prepare and you can substitute the wild rice with bulgur wheat or any grain of your choice. I usually use a mixture of black, red, brown and wild rice, as this adds extra colour and texture and it is also less expensive. During the quarantine I have continued to substitute many ingredients in my recipes. For this one I used quinoa instead of rice and a mix of halloumi and cheddar for the filling. I also added a handful of chopped spinach and a few chickpeas. This is a very nutritious dish which can be a lovely vegetarian main course, served with a leafy salad and crusty bread.

Roasted aubergines stuffed with wild rice, mozzarella, feta and basil

Serves 6

3 large aubergines

1 cup of ready-cooked wild rice

200g mozzarella, cut into cubes

100g feta, crumbled

1 onion, chopped and fried

A handful of basil leaves, shredded

100g grated cheddar

Olive oil, salt and pepper

400g tomato sauce

To prepare the aubergines

Wash the aubergines and cut them in half, lengthwise. Remove the flesh of each half of aubergine leaving about 1cm of flesh on the skin. You should end up with a shell.

Cut the flesh of the aubergines into cubes, about 1cm in diameter. Season the aubergine shells with oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking tray, upside down.

Season the aubergine cubes in the same way as the shells and place on another roasting tray. Place both trays in a preheated oven to 180C and roast the aubergines for about 15-20 minutes or until soft.

To fill

Mix the rice, roasted flesh of aubergines, fried onion, mozzarella and basil. Stuff the aubergine shells with the mix and sprinkle the grated cheddar on top.

Bake in a preheated oven to 180C for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the topping is golden brown.

To serve

Serve with the hot tomato sauce and chopped parsley.

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