Aubergine, Red Pepper and Tomato Puree

One of the ways I avoid food waste is to make purees to eat as a dip with veggies or to stir into freshly cooked pasta for a quick dinner. Once my tomato plants start going bonkers I end up with some that are better for roasting than in salads so I make this Aubergine, Red Pepper and Tomato puree that is delicious stirred into pasta or poured over chicken breasts then roasted. You can use whatever type of pepper and tomatoes you have, add chillies or mix with yoghurt, it’s really versatile. This puree also freezes well so I can make big batches then freeze portions to use for dinners or to serve with tortilla chips and shared over a glass of wine in the garden.

INGREDIENTS
tomatoes
red peppers
aubergine
garlic
olive oil
salt
extras: plain yoghurt, cumin, ground ginger, chilli oil, lemon, thyme leaves

• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (200°C Fan). Cut all the veggies to the same size and scatter on a large baking tray then drizzle over with olive oil and grind over generously with salt. Toss all the veggies so that they’re covered in oil.
• Cut a small slice off the top of the garlic then remove as much of the outer paper as you can. Place the garlic cut side down in the centre of the tray and drizzle with olive oil. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
• Let the veggies cool for a while then squeeze the garlic out of the skin. Tip all the veggies into a blender and pulse until you have the consistency you want. It will blend quickly so the pulse with let you control how smooth you want it.
• If I’m serving as a dip I stir in a little plain yoghurt and dust over with spices, drizzle with chilli oil and a squeeze of lemon juice then sprinkle with a few thyme leaves. To turn it into a sauce stir straight into freshly cooked pasta then add a little of the pasta water to thin out the puree. I also pour it over chicken breasts in a baking dish then cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes at 200°C (180°C Fan).