Jenna's Treats & Eats: Roasted Eggplant Dip

So, now that we are comfortably into the new year, who’s been keeping up with their New Years resolutions?

I’ve never been great at this, usually whatever promises I’ve made myself are all but forgotten by the time the groundhog sticks his head out of the ground. This year, however, I’ve been doing pretty well. And that’s because this year I resolved to stop making resolutions.

Well, that’s not exactly true. I haven’t stopped making them so much as I’ve changed the way that I make them. No more huge promises of cutting out all junk food or working out twice a day or going the whole year without buying any new shoes. Those resolutions never panned out because, quite frankly, those resolutions are insane. So this year when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve I resolved to try and make small changes that would help me lead a healthier and happier life.

Take my love of late night snacking for example, I can’t give that up any more than I could give up oxygen but I can take an hour or two out of my week to make sure I have a bunch of healthy snacks on hand so that I’m not tempted to reach for a bag of chips.

Which brings me to this healthy and delicious roasted eggplant dip (or baba ganoush). I’ve been making this for the last few weeks and haven’t missed my chips and salsa once. So whether you’ve made resolutions big or small or absolutely none at all give this simple and satisfying dip a try. Your body will thank you.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, about 2 lbs worth

¼ cup tahini

¼ lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

¼ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped parsley leaves, optional

Directions:

- Prick the eggplant all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Broil the eggplant on high for 2-3 minutes per side, this will give a nice smoky flavour to the dip. Turn off the broiler, keeping the eggplant in the oven, and roast at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

- Once your eggplant is cool enough to handle, cut it in half length wise, drain any extra juices and scoop out the flesh.

- Now you have two options, for a chunkier, more textured dip place all your ingredients except for the olive oil in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until combined. Or if you prefer a smoother more pureed dip toss everything (except for olive oil) in a food processor and blend until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

- Refrigerate until needed.

- Swirl in the olive oil, serve with raw veggies and enjoy!

#appetizers #Food #health #Recipes