Roasted Eggplant Dip
This Middle Eastern dip is similar to Baba Ghanoush, but it's chunkier with the addition of feta cheese, red onion and red bell pepper. It's got brightness and tang, the sweetness of bell pepper and the fresh sting of red onion.
It's important to cook your eggplant until it's soft and silky in order for it to blend smoothly into a dip. Broil it until a knife slides into it easily and it looks wrinkled and kind of shrunken. Eggplants are 90% water, so when it looks like it's collapsed on itself that means the water has steamed out and the cell walls have broken down. Translation: You have soft, sweet, totally edible eggplant.
Eggplant is a wonderful vegetable that is rich in color and full of healthy antioxidants. It can be served as a dip with crackers, veggies or pita, or you can use it as a spread for sandwiches or in a pita pocket with sprouts for a easy, nutritious lunch. Or, warm this up with a little broth and serve it as a sauce over pasta or baked potato wedges. The possibilities are wide open!
- 1 medium eggplant, pierced all over with a fork
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Dried Lemon Peel
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 small finely chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons Dried Basil
- 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Chile Powder
- Coarse Sea Salt to taste
- Preheat broiler.
- Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
- Line a baking pan with foil.
- Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam.
- Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred or when a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 16 to 20 minutes.
- Move eggplant to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
- Put lemon juice and lemon peel in a medium bowl.
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape flesh into the bowl. Stir in lemon juice mixture.
- Add oil and mash with a fork until the oil is absorbed
- Stir in feta cheese, red onion, red bell pepper, Dried Basil, Dried Parsley, Cayenne Chile Powder, and Coarse Sea Salt.
- Serve with crackers, crudite, or charcuterie. Store in your refrigerator for two days.
