Middle Eastern Aubergine Slippers

(SERVES 4)

• 2 large aubergines (eggplants), stalks removed
• 40 g/1 ½ oz/3 tbsp low-fat spread, melted
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 1.5 ml/ ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• A few grains of artificial sweetener
• 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 60 ml/4 tbsp pine nuts

To serve:

• 4 slices rye bread
• Mixed Leaf Salad

Boil the aubergines whole in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain again. Dry on kitchen paper. Halve lengthways. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a wall about 1 cm/ ½ in thick. Chop the scooped-out flesh. Grease a shallow ovenproof dish with a little more of the little spread. Bake in a preheated oven at 180degree C/350degree F/gas mark 4 for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fry (sauté) the onions and garlic in the remaining low-fat spread for about 5 minutes until the soft and golden. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, a few grains of sweetener and the parsley and season to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the chopped aubergine and pine nuts and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove the aubergine shells form the oven. Spoon in the tomato and pine nut mixture and serve with rye bread and Mixed Leaf Salad.