Sunday, August 21, 2011

RECIPE: Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip

From Avigail: If you're not too afraid to turn on your oven these days, here is a delicious way to use your eggplants. I don't know about you, but I love eggplant dip, and when I buy it in the stores it often tends to be a little oily for my taste.

1 medium Italian eggplant, or 2 medium Chinese eggplants, skin peeled off with a vegetable peeler
2 red bell peppers, washed well, and seeded
1 red onion
2-4 cloves minced garlic (I like a lot of garlic in mine!)
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp tomato paste

For serving (pick one):
Tortilla chips
Pita chips
French Bread
Ciabatta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare veggies by chopping the eggplant, red pepper, and red onion into roughly 1-inch sized pieces. Put them in a large bowl, then toss well with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, so that all the vegetables are well coated. Spread them out in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then roast them for 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables once during roasting. Once they are done, they will be well-browned and soft.

Let the vegetables cool slightly, then transfer them to a food processor. Pulse the vegetables a few times to break them up, then add the tomato paste and pulse until well-blended and mostly smooth. (I like it smooth with a few larger bits, but you can leave the dip as chunky or as smooth as you like.) Serve at room temperature with chips or bread, or store refrigerated for a few days.

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