Heart Healthy Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip Recipe

Roasted Eggplant and Feta Dip

Football season is here and tail gate parties are fun. But, perhaps it is difficult coming up with new approaches to football food? Here is a crowd pleaser, that is sure to get you asked to the next party or at the very least, for the recipe…

This roasted eggplant and feta party dip gets a kick from a fresh chile pepper and cayenne pepper. There are countless variations on this classic Meze (Greek for appetizer). Out of season fresh eggplant or fresh eggplant that has been heavily watered often has an abundance of seeds, which make the vegetable bitter. I always choose the thin eggplant (or what some people call the male) because it has less seeds. Be sure to taste your eggplant dip before you serve it. If it had a sightly bitter taste, just as some raw sugar or if you are diabetic, sugar substitute.

Ingredients for Roasted Eggplant and Feta Dip:

• 1 medium fresh eggplant (about 1 pound)

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably Greek

• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

• 1 small red bell pepper , finely chopped

• 1 small chile pepper , such as jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley ( you can subsitute cilantro for a spicier western version)

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper , or to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Directions:

1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler
2. Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam
3. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes
4. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle
5. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl
6. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to help prevent discoloring
7. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed (It should be a little chunky.)
8. Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, chile pepper (if using), basil, parsley, cayenne and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed.

Serve with toasted pita crisps, baked flour tortillas wedges or as a sandwich spread.

Serves about 12 or 6 hungry guys

Note: If you can not eat cheese you can leave out the feta cheese and just have an Egglpant Dip Recipe. Just add at least 1/2 cup of sour cream, at the last minute.

I like to regrigerate this dip at lease an hour before serving.

Side Note: This dip is good for 2 days if refrigerated


Make sure you check out my Mediterranean Diet and other Mediterranean Recipes, before you leave…

Bon Appetit
~The Baby Boomer Queen~

Here are some Mediterranean Cookbooks and Kitchen Gagets to look over…

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