Delicious Eggplant lasagne (without pasta)

Eggplants are still in season and I absolutely love them! I'm trying to keep the carbs down at the moment and thought I'd try a lasagne with eggplants instead of pasta. Well it was loved by everyone! Even my daughter! And she's not generally an eggplant fan. It's no more difficult than ordinary lasagne and quite delicious!

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, washed

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

salt

450g pork mince

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion

50g mushrooms (portobello have more taste), cleaned

1 small courgette (about 70 g), washed

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp mixed herbs

1-2 tbsp water

salt and papper to taste

White Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

3/4cup milk

pinch of nutmeg

salt to taste

130g grated mozzarella cheese

Green salad to serve

Method:

Turn the oven to 200℃

Slice the eggplants lengthways into about 8mm thick slices

put them on a flat oven tray lined with baking paper and brush them on both sides with the 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and soft. You might have to take thinner ones out earlier so they don't burn. Set aside to cool down a little bit. Turn the oven down to 180℃.

In the meantime, dice the onions, mushrooms and courgette finely, peel and grate the garlic.

Fry the mince in a non stick frying pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Drain off any excess fat and liquid as it develops, otherwise you'll steam the mince, not brown it. Add in the onions and fry until soft. Add the mushrooms and courgette and fry for a couple of minutes. Stir through the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the paprika, stir through and quickly add the vinegar, stir again and add the tomatoes, garlic and mixed herbs. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed. If the mixture dries out too much, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

When the mince is cooked through and the courgettes are just al dente, turn the stove off and put the mince aside to cool down a little bit

On medium heat, melt the butter in a small sauce pan, add the flour and stir until well combined. Quickly add about half the milk and whisk it in quickly. When it starts to thicken, add the second lot of milk. Keep whisking until it thickens again, Add the nutmeg and a bit of salt. Set aside

In a suitable baking dish, alternate layers of mince, white sauce and eggplant slices, finishing with white sauce. (I got 2 layers of eggplant slices and three layers of egg plants in). Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes, Then turn the oven to grill and give it another 3-5 minutes, until golden.

Serve with a fresh garden salad . Enjoy!