Aubergine Caviar...Roasted Eggplant Dip (Gordon Ramsay)

Aubergine Caviar... Roasted Eggplant Dip (Gordon Ramsay). Summer is quickly passing by and the cooler weather is upon us. We have now slowly taken out our lighter jackets, the heavier blankets, and using the oven more. I've had quite a variety of herbs growing in my garden this summer. Some of the herbs I ended up drying for the winter... but I've also used some of it fresh in a variety of dishes. I made this dish awhile back and thought it best to post it sooner than later:).

I came upon this recipe about a year or two ago and just haven't had the chance to make it. I guess it's just easier for me to make the Romanian roasted eggplant dip. But since I had quite a bit of fresh herbs, I decided to finally try Gordon Ramsay's version...the Aubergine Caviar.

The dish is quite simple to prepare, and even though the recipe uses the oven to roast the eggplants, I am sure this can be done on the grill as well. You want to cook the eggplant until the flesh is nice and soft...

The "caviar" name comes from all the little seeds found in the flesh....but it's more like a poor man's "caviar" without the fishy taste:). While the eggplant dip is great on toast or as a canape, it's just as great used as a dip with crudites. I would even smear it on bread and top it with some minced onion...or use it instead of mayonnaise when making sandwiches. While the dip can be served warm, it can be made ahead and served cold or at room temperature. A great vegetarian dish that's perfect for the late summer months. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: You can add some minced raw onion( if you want, you can pour hot water over the chopped onion and strain,...just to take the "bite" out of the onion), and mix it in at the end. I ended up doing that with half of it(couldn't stay away from the Romanian version:))... and loved it.

You will need: adapted from Gordon Ramsay

Bake/grill:
2 medium eggplants(aubergines)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into halves
salt, to taste( regular recipe uses 2 TBS rock salt)
Few sprigs of thyme and rosemary

Add in:
Olive oil, to drizzle
150ml sour cream, or to taste
ground black pepper
small bunch of coriander, leaves chopped
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Slice the eggplants/aubergines in two... lengthwise. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Rub the garlic halves over the scored sides of the eggplants and then slice the garlic halves and insert them in the scored sides of the eggplant along with the rosemary leaves and sprigs of thyme.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Sandwich the eggplant/aubergines halves together. Wrap tightly in foil and twist ends. Repeat with the other two halves. Place on a roasting tray and bake for 40 minutes or until soft inside and cooked thoroughly(mine took a bit more than the 40 minutes). You can likewise do this on the grill...turning the eggplants halfway through the cooking time...it might not need all 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

3. Remove the foil from the eggplants/aubergines, discard the herbs and scrape the flesh and garlic on to a chopping board. Be careful, as the aubergines will still be steaming hot. Chop to a paste... as coarse or fine as you like.

4. Heat a saucepan with a little olive oil and add the aubergine paste. Cook over high heat ... stirring frequently, until the juices have evaporated and the pulp is thick. This will also help to intensify the flavour of the aubergines.

5. Stir in the coriander/cilantro and sour cream. Season to taste. Add a squeeze of lemon, spoon into a dipping bowl and serve with bread, crackers, crudites, etc.

Muhamarra Dip/Spread/Marinade...

Muhamarra Dip/Spread/Marinade... Here's a recipe for a healthy dip...packed full of flavor. Some time ago, we went to a Middle Eastern restaurant... We happened to order an appetizer platter consisting of three dips...hummus(chickpea dip), baba ganoush(roasted eggplant and tahini dip), and muhamarra(roasted bell pepper and walnut dip). The dips were accompanied by some good,warm pita bread. Mmmm....Though we were quite familiar with the hummus and baba ganoush dips, the muhamarra was new to us. It sort of stood out on its own. It was packed with lots of flavor..roasted peppers, walnuts, cumin... We really liked it. I kept thinking how tasty it was. Because I am always looking for different appetizers that are simple to make, without skimping on flavor, I knew instantly that I wanted to duplicate it at home. One day, on the spur of the moment, I decided to whip it up...I had a couple of roasted peppers, some walnuts, and the spices. So I made this dip. I tried to stick to the basic flavors which are used in the classic muhamarra dip. While the muhamarra dip usually has toasted bread crumbs added to it, I chose not to use it this time around( because I didn't have any:)). The bread crumbs do thicken the dip some and give it flavor as well as texture. Use the bread crumbs, if you have some. The dip also uses pomegranate molasses, which is sometimes hard to find...at least here anyway. If you can't find the pomegranate molasses, you can usually substitute balsamic vinegar instead. Some recipes add tomato paste as well, while others add paprika... I chose to use paprika this time around. The tomato paste imparts additional flavor as well as color... maybe next time I'll add some tomato paste.

The neat thing about this dip is that you can adjust seasoning to your taste... so feel free to add/omit according to your taste. If you like it more spicy add more chile, if you like more cumin, add more...it really is up to you. This dip is also great "smeared" over grilled chicken/beef kabobs. This dip can be modified by substituting almonds instead of the walnuts and omitting the cumin....it is then called Romesco Dip. But the basis for both of these dips, is the roasted bell peppers. I thought you might like to try it...so, I am sharing this with you. You can see a few variations of this recipe by clicking on any of these recipes for ideas .... 101cookbooks, Food Network, Saveur. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

2 roasted bell peppers( you can use jarred, if you like)

2/3 cup toasted walnuts( I used a combination of pecans and walnuts... that's what I had)

1/2 tsp cumin(you can add more if you like)

1 tsp paprika( or smoked paprika...or tomato paste)

1/2 tsp chipotle powder(or a sprinkle of chile flakes)

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp balsamic vinegar( or pomegranate molasses, if you can find it)

kosher salt to taste

2 TBS olive oil( +/-)

1/2 tsp sugar/honey

1/4 - 1/2 cup toasted whole grain bread crumbs( optional...I didn't use)

warm water to thin it out

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a blender/food processor....except the warm water.

Blend/process until fine. Add more olive oil, if you like. This thins it out a bit and adds flavor as well. You can also thin out the dip by adding some warm water. Blend/process again. Taste and adjust seasoning. You can add more spice, seasoning or acidity according your taste. I chose not to use the bread crumbs, but the original recipe usually adds it. So feel free to do so. Serve with pita chips, vegetables or even use it as a marinade for grilled meats.

Kopanisti Dip...Whipped Feta and Red Pepper Dip

Kopanisti Dip...Whipped Feta and Red Pepper Dip/Spread. A week ago, I came across this dip on Tastespotting. Since then, I found it here and here and here. It sounded delicious and very easy to whip up. I knew I wanted to try it. I just love unique dips. Because I had all the ingredients, I whipped it up in no time. This recipe came together rather quickly. Ok, maybe it was because I had some ready-made roasted peppers on hand:). I had bought these peppers from Costco, and wanted to see if they were just as good as the homemade ones. They didn't have any preservatives... just peppers, salt, vinegar, water and grape juice. Plus, they were Florinas peppers ... supposedly the best peppers to use for this dip. The Florinas peppers are distinguished by their cone shape and scarlet color, and cultivated in the eastern part of Greece. Greek dip, Greek peppers... now, that should work. So I gave them a try:). They did the job! This dip was definitely easy to do. Simple. Different. You can roast your own peppers, and it would be just as delicious, if not better. Actually, I think I will roast my peppers next time... just to see the difference. There are so many variations to this dip...Some use sundried tomatoes, others use just the cheese without any bell peppers, while still others add a few pepperonchini peppers. Ingredients and amounts can vary...but the cheese is the star. Traditionally, it should be the Kopanisti cheese found in Greece, therefore the name. But, feta cheese can be substituted. A lot of the dips use quite a bit of feta. So, if you don't like feta....well, that could pose a problem:)...maybe you could substitute some milder cheese. The neat thing about making this at home, is that you can play around with the amounts to suit your liking. Use less feta or use more bell peppers...add more garlic or don't put so much. It is up to you. This is how I made mine and liked it. Hope you enjoy!

You will need:

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2-3 TBS Olive Oil, you might want to add more

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 TBS fresh mint (optional)

red pepper flakes (optional)

1 roasted red pepper, skin peeled

pepper to taste

cumin, to taste, very optional (my addition, liked it better, actually)

a pinch of sugar, in case your dip is a bit on the sour side(I think my peppers were a bit on the sour side)

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients(except the oil) into a food processor and blend together. Drizzle olive oil until it becomes smooth. You might need to add more than the 2-3 TBS. I just limit the amount of oil I use....though it does bring it together quite nicely. It also tastes better with more oil:).

Taste and adjust seasoning for red pepper flakes. Add pepper if needed. Blend again until smooth. Serve with pita/naan/ crusty bread. I think this dip tastes better as it sits, so the flavors blend.

Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde... a versatile salsa that can be used in a variety of sauces or just the way it is. I originally got this recipe from Tyler Florence...Food Network. It is easy and quick to do. An alternate sauce for Mexican dishes...soft tacos, enchiladas, nachos etc. The trick to it is to season it well and add some water to thin it out a bit as it can get thicker when it is chilled. Hop eyou enjoy...

Note: This is the basic recipe and yields about 2 cups.

You will need:

4 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 jalapenos, stemmed
1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic clove, peeled
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds (I omitted)

Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic.

2. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatillos are soft.

3. Drain and cool slightly, then put them in a blender.

4. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. Puree for a few seconds to blend, and then pour in about a 1/4 cup of water and process to a coarse puree; taste and season with a generous(this is key!) pinch of salt.

Vidalia Onion Dip (Lower fat)

Vidalia Onion Dip.... Just a simple recipe for a quick dip.Something different.... An alternative to the usual dips that are heavier and loaded with cheese and then baked. The only real preparation is cooking the onions. It is great served with pita chips or toasted bagel bites. In my case, I used thinly sliced bagel slices, toasted them and cut them into wedges.

These are the proportions I used. But, really you can play around with the amounts to suit your taste. Hope yo enjoy...

Ingredients:

• 1 vidalia onion (diced fine) ....really, think you can use any onion here
• 1 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 TBS finely chopped chives
• 2 TBS softened cream cheese
• 1-2 tsp granulated onion powder (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper.

2. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not over brown... lower heat if necessary. Let cool.

3. In a bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, onion powder and chives; adjust seasoning.

4. Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with potato chips, crackers or bagel chips.

Eggplant Dip...Salata de vinete

Eggplant Dip... Salata de vinete. We grew up on this! Eggplant is a wonderful summer vegetable that can be used in a variety of ways. But, grilling the eggplant and making into a dip brings it to a new level. The smoky flavor permeates through every bite. It is an easy dish that freezes very well and can be such a treat during the winter months! This recipe requires only 4 ingredients and is so easy to make.

The dip can be eaten spread on a good crusty bread. You can also use pita bread triangles or any bread for that matter... it is good either way. We like it spread on good bread with a slice of tomato on top (or diced tomatoes). Hope you enjoy...

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
4-6 TBS oil, or to taste
2-3 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 of an onion, or to taste

Top with:

tomatoes, sliced or chopped

Directions:

1. Wash and then pierce eggplants with a fork.

2. Place eggplants onto hot grill. Grill for 1o minutes or so and turn on the other side and grill for 10 minutes or so until skin is charred and brittle.

3. Place eggplants in a covered container so as to steam and soften the skin. It becomes easier to peel that way.

4. Cut in half and scoop out flesh... The eggplant at this point is soft and can be easily pureed. I use a wooden cleaver to chop and macerate the eggplant to a fine consistency. (almost like applesauce). You can also use a food processor to puree the eggplant ... just use the pulse button being careful to not over-process, though if you like a finer puree, you surely can do so.

5. Place mashed eggplant into a bowl and add 1 TBS of oil at a time and mix to incorporate until all the oil is used up. If you think the eggplants need a bit more oil, add a bit more, a little at a time. The oil really brings it all together. Add salt to taste and minced onion (to minimize the " bite" of raw onion, you can place the minced onion in a fine sieve and pour hot water over it, strain well and then add to eggplant.)

6.Before serving, if you want, you can drizzle a bit of extra olive oil on top of the salad....and maybe a bit of extra minced onion.

7. Serve with sliced bread, crostini, pita chips, etc... and some tomatoes( sliced or chopped)

If you want to keep some of the eggplant puree for later, do not add salt, oil and onion. Freeze in a container or a plastic bag and defrost at a later time.