Spiced Aubergine with Grill Cheese, Pomegranate and Pine Nuts

Serves 2

Roasted eggplant with warm cumin and coriander, golden grill cheese, fresh parsley, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pine nuts — a sweet, salty, and herby salad with plenty of protein.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 2 tsp dried cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
• 1 tsp dried coriander seeds (or ground coriander)
• 200 g grill cheese (or halloumi)
• 25 g pine nuts
• 1/2 pomegranate, seeds only
• handful flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Cut the eggplant into cubes and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin, coriander and salt. Toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly golden.
2. Slice the grill cheese and fry in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil until golden and crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan.
3. In the same pan with the remaining olive oil, toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant.
4. Chop the parsley and place in a bowl with the zest of 1 lemon, the juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil and the pomegranate seeds. Add the roasted eggplant and grill cheese, season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Note: if using halloumi, go easy on the salt as it is naturally quite salty.
5. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.