Stuffed vegetables with summer quinoa and hasselback potatoes

This recipe comes from Anna Valentine's book The Veggie Tree, a one stop shop for all plant-based food lovers.

The potatoes will have to be prepared just before cooking or they will go brown. The quinoa stuffing can be made two days in advance and the vegetables can be stuffed the day before.

Ingredients

1	Aubergine, cut into large dice (Main)
1 tsp	Salt
¼ cup	Olive oil
1	Red onion, diced
2	Garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup	Quinoa, white, red or mixed (Main)
1 Tbsp	Dried oregano, or 4 sprigs fresh
2	Bay leaves
400 g	Tomatoes, (canned, passata or grated) (Main)
¼ cup	Olives, pitted and sliced
1	Corn cob, kernels only (Main)
½ tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
4	Capsicums, use up to 6 (Main)
1	Marrow (Main)
4	Tomatoes, use up to 6 (Main)
4	Potatoes, use up to 6 (Main)
2 Tbsp	Butter, or olive oil
4	Sage leaves, fresh
¼ cup	Almonds
200 g	Feta cheese, or dairy alternative, crumbled

Directions

1. Put the diced aubergine into a colander and shake them while adding the salt. Leave to drain for 10 minutes.
2. In a medium pan heat the onion and fry for two minutes. Dry the aubergine in a tea towel, then add to the pan along with the garlic. Fry for four minutes, then add quinoa, oregano, bay leaves and 400ml water.
3. Stir in the tomato and olives and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the sweetcorn kernels and salt and pepper. Stir in and cook for a further two minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
4. Heat the oven to 190C.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables for stuffing. Cut the tops off the capsicums, (reserving the tops) and scoop the seeds out. Slice the marrow into 3cm thick slices and remove seeds. Cut the tops off the tomatoes, preferably with the stalks intact and reserve, scoop the seeds out. Scrub the potatoes and slice halfway through at 3mm intervals.
6. Oil a roasting tray. Stuff the capsicums, marrow pieces and tomatoes with the quinoa mixture. Put the tops back on the capsicums and tomatoes and arrange in the roasting tray with the marrow and prepared potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper and bake for one hour until the capsicums are cooked and starting to slump.
7. Melt butter or olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Gently fry the sage leaves until crispy and remove with tongs or slotted spoon to a wooden bowl or paper towel. Then toast almonds until golden.
8. Scatter sage, almonds and feta over the vegetables. Serve with a drizzle of pesto.

See more of Anna's vegetarian recipes for Christmas

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