Inspired by this Eggplant “Caviar” Recipe, I’ve upped the herbs and vinegar and added cherry tomatoes to make this warming (roasted eggplant) and, at the same time, refreshing (fresh herbs and tomato) dip. Serve it with toasted bread or crackers. If you go with a few seedy Norwegian Crispbread Crackers (because, they pack the protein), I’d say it counts as a meal.
It’s been a stretch for me to get creative with my eggplant recipes, although I have posted a couple. Nothing beats a batch of vegan lasagna (I gotta post that recipe soon!) when I’ve got eggplant around, but that’s a lot of work. Simply sliced and roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper is also delicious but, for some reason, I don’t feel it’s enough of a “dish” for company (just a comfort food for me!). Beyond that, I just don’t love babaganoush…but THIS dip turned out to be filling, refreshing and deliciously ‘visitor-worthy’. Even though we don’t have many visitors these days, it’s nice to have a simple recipe for a ‘fancy’, healthy (not fried!) dish for us to enjoy at home (with a glass of red wine, maybe…). Ok, here it is:
Ingredients:
2 medium italian eggplants or 1 large one (or 3 to 4 asian eggplants)
½ an onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Large handful basil or parsley, chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, chopped in fourths
1 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Stab the eggplant with a fork several times on all sides, then put on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and roast until very tender (about an hour for a large Italian eggplant, check sooner, after 20 minutes, if using a smaller or more narrow variety of eggplant).
Saute the onion over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the garlic and saute a couple more minutes.
When eggplant is ready, take it out of oven and let cool a bit. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the flesh and finely chop before putting in a bowl.
Add the sauteed onions and garlic along with the tomatoes, herbs (basil or parsley), red wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix.
Serve with toasted bread or crackers. Again, if you go with a few seedy Norwegian Crispbread Crackers (because, they pack the protein), I’d say it counts as a meal!