Mediterranean Vegetable Stack

Happy Easter! A mediterranean vegetable stack is on the menu today, as I am with the vegetarian side of the family this year. (already dreaming of the big lamb feast next year) When I close my eyes, I can imagine myself eating this in a café in Tuscany.

This is a genius recipe which I can claim no credit for, it's my mums made-up creation. It is especially good if you are in the need for speed. I’ll admit I’m not a fan of microwave cooking, but the cooking time for this entire dish is more than halved. So it just makes sense. If you are not strapped for time, by all means do each veg in the oven or on the stove top.

Choose your veg to be of similar shape and size, this makes for a nice uniform stack that doesn’t topple over easily.

1 large aubergine
2 large tomatoes
4 mushrooms
4 tsp basil pesto
Handful of basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian herbs
Salt & Pepper

Slice aubergine in about 1-2cm discs, season well with salt and pepper.
Place in a microwavable dish cover with cling fling, pierce a few holes and microwave for 7mins.
Pop the aubergines under the grill to colour and dry out. Turn once, grilling both sides.
Cut tomatoes in similar sized rounds, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar if tomatoes are not properly ripened.
Place in a microwavable dish cover with cling fling, pierce a few holes and microwave for 3mins. Do it for longer if you prefer a more cooked tomato.
Drizzle mushrooms with a little olive oil and season with Italian herbs and salt and pepper.
Place in a microwavable dish cover with cling fling, pierce a few holes and microwave for 4mins.
Now stack, start with aubergine, a few basil leaves, tomato, mushroom and basil pesto.
Top with some nice melting cheese and grill again until cheese is melted.
Serve and scoff straight away.

Serves 4