WARM ROAST BEEF SALAD WITH EGGPLANT AND PESTO

We love warm salads, and this one is full of flavours. It is amazingly delicious. You don't need to eat anything else. It is a meal on itself.

INGREDIENTS

4 roma tomatoes, quartered lengthways
pinch white sugar
125ml olive oil
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
450g piece beef fillet
240g rocket or rocket & spinach mix
1/3 cup (90g) fresh pesto

Dressing for rocket
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
3 tsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper

Fresh pesto
150g basil, leaves removed
140g Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1 cup (100g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup (80g) pine nuts, toasted
2/3 cup (170ml) olive oil

METHOD:
To make the pesto, put the basil, parsley, Parmesan, garlic and pine nuts into a food processor or a pestle and mortar and blend or pound the mixture to make a thick paste.
Add the oil in a steady stream until the paste has a spoonable consistency.
If you want to keep your pesto, put it in a sterilized jar and add a layer of olive oil on top. This will prevent the surface of the pesto oxidizing and turning brown Keep the pesto in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Put the tomatoes on a baking tray and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of white sugar. Put them in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat and fry the eggplant slices until they are lightly browned on both sides. (If you prefer it, put them in the oven at the same time of the tomatoes, and brush the slices with oil.)

Remove the eggplant and drain on paper towels.
Pour away most of the oil and return the pan to high heat.
Sear the beef fillet in the frying pan. Put on a baking tray and in the oven for 10 minutes (it will be rare at this point, so cook it for another 5 minutes if you prefer).
Season the beef with salt, cover with foil and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Arrange the tomatoes and eggplant on a bed of rocket leaves which have been mixed previously with the dressing.
Thinly slice the beef, arrange on the salad and season well.
Finish with a spoonful of pesto on top of the beef.

Serves 4

Comments

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