{"id":12877,"date":"2022-07-28T08:58:33","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T06:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/pretoria\/blog\/2022\/07\/28\/warm-up-with-this-hearty-aubergine-cannelloni-bake\/"},"modified":"2022-07-28T08:58:37","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T06:58:37","slug":"warm-up-with-this-hearty-aubergine-cannelloni-bake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/pretoria\/blog\/2022\/07\/28\/warm-up-with-this-hearty-aubergine-cannelloni-bake\/","title":{"rendered":"Warm up with this hearty aubergine cannelloni bake"},"content":{"rendered":"

The weather\u2019s definitely chills … so tonight we\u2019re eating a hearty aubergine cannelloni bake courtesy of Makgadi Itsweng – chef, food activist and former food editor of True Love magazine. Her recipe from her debut cookbook, Veggielicious is hearty and delicious enough to please those who usually sniff at veggie offerings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"We had a Q&A chat with Makgadi -on how she got involved in the Eat Out awards, her choice of a plant-based lifestyle, and her garden (and then dinner is served … her yummy Aubergine Cannelloni Bake).<\/p>\n

How did you get involved in the awards, and what does it entail for you? Any favourites you\u2019re allowed to mention?
\n<\/strong>I have been a reviewer for Eat Out for the past six years, since my days as Truelove Food Editor so have been involved with Eat Out for that long. So when asked to join this year\u2019s panel as a judge, I jumped at the opportunity to celebrate chefs and their offering, after a terrible two years of Covid, which affected the restaurant industry so profoundly. I don\u2019t really have a favourite, as I believe that each restaurant is special and has something different to offer<\/p>\n

Tell us about your choice of a plant-based lifestyle.
\n<\/strong>I have been following the plant-based lifestyle\u00a0 for more than 10 years now. I suffer from food allergies and this became the catalyst for my lifestyle change, as I realised that the food I was consuming was triggering allergies in my body. It is only when I went plant-based that I stopped using antihistamines and my body started healing itself. This has been a difficult journey in that when I chose this way of eating years ago, there were very limited food options available to me. Vegetables are always seen as an accompaniment for meat and never as a main dish. So I struggled when eating out.<\/p>\n

Does your family also follow a plant-based lifestyle?
\n<\/strong>My family is flexitarian, which means they occasionally eat meat, eggs and dairy. They are more conscious also of the kind of meat they eat as they have been with me, through my journey of healing<\/p>\n

How long have you been a keen gardener? Joys and pitfalls?
\n<\/strong>I have been gardening for six years now, I love the peace and healing gardening gives me. Something profound happens to you when you are in the garden digging into the soil and connecting with mother nature. It is my time to think, to dream and to de-stress. It is also a very physical activity, so it is my exercise time. Like any gardener will tell you, gardening is very addictive, once you get the green fingers, you are hooked for life, that is the only pitfall in gardening<\/p>\n

AUBERGINE CANNELLONI BAKE
\n<\/strong>One of the best ways to enjoy brinjals. The vegetables blend very well with the sauce. Serves four to six.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n