Roasted Eggplant Dip

/ Kristen Yarker Dietitian Victoria BC /
roasted-eggplant-dip2.jpg

While is has a fancy-sounding name, baba ganoush, is actually very easy to make.

And, it can be a great way to get picky eaters to eat veggies because it involves something that many love to do – dip! It’s also great spread on crackers or toast. Or, spread inside a pita pocket.

This is more of a technique than a recipe. Adjust all of the ingredients to suit your (and your child’s) taste buds. Also, both the eggplant and garlic are flexible when it comes to oven temperature. So I often just add the eggplant and garlic to the oven when I’m cooking another dish.

 

Roasted Eggplant Ingredients:

1                      eggplant

1 head             garlic

3 TBSP             olive oil + extra for baking

3 TBSP             lemon juice (fresh-squeezed or bottled)

pinch               salt

 

Roasted Eggplant Dip Directions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. Cut any loose leafy parts off the eggplant. Pierce the eggplant’s skin with a fork. Make pierce-marks about 1 -2 inches apart. Rub the eggplant with olive oil. Place in a baking dish.

  3. Remove the outermost, loose skin from the head of garlic. Pour 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a sheet of tin foil. Place garlic head on the foil. Fold the foil around the garlic to make a closed package. Place the package on the baking dish, alongside the eggplant.

  4. Bake in the oven until the garlic is soft and fragrant and the eggplant is wrinkled and soft to the touch – about 1 hour. Set aside and allow to cool.

  5. Once cooled, remove half the garlic cloves from the head and place in a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a blender/food processor. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.

  6. Cut the eggplant in half lengthways. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh. Add it to the mixture.

  7. Blend the mixture until smooth with a blender/food processor or hand-held blender. Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and texture preferences (e.g. add the rest of the roasted garlic cloves).

  8. Enjoy!

 Note: Leftover roasted garlic cloves taste fantastic on their own smashed onto a piece of crusty bread or a cracker.

Get another delicious veggie-containing dip recipe: Beet Hummus.

Photo credit: Student volunteer Alyssa. Thank you Alyssa!