Soft baked aubergines, stuffed with minced lamb, onions, mushrooms and garlic in a tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and topped with golden melted mozzarella; so delicious served with a crisp green salad!

Preparation

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, 180 degrees fan oven.
• 2
  Halve the aubergines length ways and score inside with a sharp knife, leaving just less than a centimetre thickness in the shells. Scoop out the flesh and retain, brush the shells with olive oil, season, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• 3
  Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion, peel the garlic and finely chop the mushrooms. Score around the skins of the tomatoes in a cross shape, cover in boiling water for a minute and then peel off the skin and chop the flesh.
• 4
  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and gently saute the onion for 3 minutes, then add the crushed garlic and aubergine flesh, finely chopped, and saute for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.
• 5
  Stir in the chopped tomatoes, add the cinnamon and a good grating of nutmeg and season well with salt and black pepper. Cover and leave to simmer very gently whilst the meat cooks, stirring occasionally.
• 6
  Cook the lamb mince in a little olive oil in a separate hot pan, stirring and breaking up the clumps, for 8-10 minutes or until cooked and browned. Spoon off and discard any excess fat from the meat.
• 7
  Mix the lamb into the tomato sauce and cook together for a few minutes. Finely chop and stir in the parsley then check the seasoning and spices and adjust if necessary.
• 8
  Put the baked aubergine shells into a snugly fitting oven proof dish and fill with the lamb mixture. Slice the mozzarella and overlap on the top of each aubergine. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the mozzarella topping is golden brown.