Baked eggplant with red potatoes.

1 eggplant
red potatoes (you can use regular potatoes, too. but these are so pretty.)
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
thyme
rosemary
1 tomato 
1 carrot
béchamel sauce (made from vegan butter, flour, soymilk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, squeeze of lemon juice and/or 1 teaspoon mustard)
salt, pepper, bay leave
oil

Cut eggplant in half and scoop out most of each half to make eggplant shells.
Cut onion and garlic finely into small cubes. Fry in 2-3 tablespoons oil together with fresh thyme and rosemary until the onions start to get translucent.  

Cut the scooped out parts of the eggplant and add to onions and garlic, stir well. Add a finely diced tomato. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes, the eggplant hasn't to be done, as it will bake for over 20 minutes.
Cut a carrot into thin stripes. 
Fill a casserole with 1-2 cm cold water. Place eggplant halfs into casserole and fill with the fried eggplant-onion-mix. Put carrot sticks and one or two bay leaves around the eggplants, season with salt and pepper.

Cover the eggplants with a thick batch of béchamel sauce. A part of it will drop into the water during baking time and melt together with the water to a delicious sauce. The rest will remain on top of the eggplants and will build a yummy, thick, golden, slightly crusty béchamel layer.

Cover the casserole with tin foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. First 10 minutes on high heat, then reduce to medium heat. Also, after the first 10 minutes you can prepare your potatoes and cook them for about 20 minutes with a little salt.

After the casserole has been in the oven for 20 minutes, remove tin foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the béchamel looks golden, slightly brown and crusty.

Serve with a few potatoes (drizzle a little bit of the sauce over them).

 

The eggplant is so tender, it's unbelievable.

Asparagus with oystermushrooms and cherry tomatoes

- 125g green asparagus

- 150g oyster mushrooms

- some yellow and red cherry tomatoes

- garlic

- salt, pepper

- lemon zest

- nutmeg

- oil or margarine

Cut off the ends of the asparagus and cut the rest into 3 cm pieces, the mushrooms into stripes. Smash the garlic with the side of a big knife.

Heat 1 tblsp margarine or oil in a pan and add aspargus first. Stir from time to time and fry for a few minutes until the asparagus starts to get brown. 

Now add the mushrooms and garlic, I had 2 big cloves. Fry for another 5 minutes on medium heat, slightly stir from time to time. Add salt, pepper, lemon zest and a big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. When it's almost done cut cherry tomatoes into half and add. Lower the heat and wait til the tomatoes begin to melt. Serve this on its own, considering it a low-carb thing or serve with a rice or potatoe dish. Great flavours and the tomatoes bring enough liquid to have a luscious and tangy dish.