Aubergine Parcels - the kind that RoyalMail wouldn't handle..

It is tricky to make those parcels "neat" as recipe requires, but if you are up for this vegetarian challenge, I can tell you, it only took 30 minutes at most for everything, starting with slicing aubergines to actually enjoying the cooked dish.
I am really glad we didn't cut on pine nuts. I imagine it would be entirely different dish without them. They only need short time in the oven to roast, and bring that sweetish taste and aroma that cannot be substituted.

2 large aubergines
8 ounces mozzarella
2 plum tomatoes
basil leaves
salt and ground plack pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts (roasted in the oven, to top)
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1) Remove the stems off the aubergines, and cut the aubergines lengthwise, each aubergine into 8 thin slices, discarding the sides.
2) Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and cook aubergines for about 2 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels.
3) Cut mozzarella and tomatoes to get 8 slices of each.
4) To assemble, place aubergine slices in a cross, putting tomato in the centre. Season with salt and pepper. Add mozzarella and basil leaf, and fold the ends of aubergines to make a neat parcel. Chill the parcels for 20 minutes.
5) Brush parcels with olive oil. Bake at 220 degrees centigrade or broil for about 5-7 minutes, then spoon over the dressing (all ingredients whisked together), and allow 5 more minutes in the oven.

Serve with pine nuts and torn basil leaves sprinkled over.

Adapted from 150 Mediterranean recipes by Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow