Non-Babaganoush, Non-Shakshouky Eggplant Dip

Once a month I hold a stitch-n-bitch in my living room. If you don't know what a stitch-n-bitch is, it's a gathering of knitters/crocheters/other fabric-crafty people that involves working on projects and chatting. And often, wine. My gatherings always include food, both savory and sweet. Who doesn't like a little nibble in the afternoon? The biggest concern is that the food be neat to eat. Nobody wants to have messy fingers while crafting, and I'd prefer folks not drop stuff on the floor or sofa. (Yes, we have a dog, but he's very polite.) I usually end up making a thick dip that more often than not includes eggplant. Why eggplant? Because it's easy, tasty, and thick. I can pick up a big glob of it on the end of a pita chip and shove it in my mouth in between stitches without missing a beat or getting messy.

Though the meetings are only once a month, I don't think my guests want to eat the same babaganoush or hummus every time, so I mix things up. Like I said, eggplant is easy, and it certainly takes on flavors well. I had half a preserved lemon in the fridge that I wanted to get rid of so I could use the jar for a fresh batch and decided to use that as a starting point for flavoring. I added a bit of this and a bit of that until the dip had a balance of tart and sweet flavors with a little nip of heat.

If you don't have preserved lemons on hand, use the juice and finely grated zest of half a lemon.

Lemony Eggplant Dip

1 large eggplant
1/2 preserved lemon, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 roasted red pepper (jarred or fresh)
Extra virgin olive oil
Agave syrup
Salt
Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and place cut-side-down on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until soft and collapsed. (Or...skip the oven and cook in the microwave for 8-10 minutes.) Set aside until cool enough to handle.

When eggplant is cool, scrape out the flesh and put it in the bowl of a food processor along with the lemon, cilantro, garlic, red pepper, and a glug of olive oil. Pulse to a puree. Season with agave syrup, a big pinch of salt, and as much cayenne as you care to add.

Enjoy with crudites and pita chips or fresh pita triangles. Also tasty stuffed into a pita with some baby greens and more roasted red pepper. Feta, too, if you have it.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Mediterranean Bean Dip

Before I started Minxeats in 1995, I had a knitting blog. Yes, that would be a blog all about knitting, and no, that's not just a thing for old people to do. While knitting is fine as a solitary pursuit, it's often more fun to knit in a group situation. I started a Stitch 'n' Bitch this year so I could commune with my fellow knitters and also to instruct non-knitting friends in the craft.

We meet once a month to knit and chat. So far, the meetings have been at Casa Minx, and I've provided the snacks. I figure thick dips, when eaten with veggies and dry dippers like pita chips, are the easiest and cleanest snacks for people who are using their hands for other things (that would be knitting.) Unless they dip their fingers, or drop a loaded chip onto their laps, yarn and needles should stay clean.

That is the hope. It has worked so far, but the year is still young!

Last month I made some tzatziki with feta in it, and a lovely orange bean dip flavored with preserved lemon and roasted red pepper. Both were a big hit.

Mediterranean Bean Dip

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 jarred roasted red bell pepper
1 tablespoon diced preserved lemon or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
Extra virgin olive oil
Pinch cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
Honey or agave syrup
Small handful of basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

Place beans into a food processor with the bell pepper and lemon. Pulse to create a smooth puree, adding as much olive oil as needed to complete the job (a couple tablespoons at least). Season with cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. If the dip seems like it needs a little something, dribble in a tiny bit of honey or agave syrup to balance the lemon. Before serving, stir in the basil.

Serve with pita chips, sugar snap peas, carrots, raw bell pepper slices, whatever floats your boat.




Posted on Minxeats.com.

Goddess-y Dressing

So, more snow. I really can't take much more of this. And I like winter--I just don't like the seemingly endless cycle of shoveling and salting, shoveling and salting. Walking the dog on slippery sidewalks (because nobody else in the neighborhood seems to understand that they should salt their sidewalks so pedestrians won't slip and break anything) is annoying and scary and I just want this crap to melt and never come back.

While it seems most appropriate to make a comforting stew or other such cold-weather food, I felt like I needed a reminder that Spring was somewhere around the corner. We had a bunch of cilantro and basil in the fridge, so I whipped up a green dressing with them. The lovely color and zingy flavor was a nice harbinger of things to come. If they come.

A typical green goddess dressing has tarragon and anchovy, but I think any combination of flavorful green herbs (except rosemary) works fine. In place of the anchovy, I added a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.

Goddess-y Dressing

1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
3 scallions, white and green parts chopped
extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
lime or lemon juice to taste
few drops of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Place the cilantro, basil, and scallions in a food processor and pulse to a puree with the help of some of the olive oil. Just use enough to get the herbs going. Add the yogurt and mayo and puree. Season to taste with the citrus juice, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper.

Makes about half a cup.

We had some leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, so I made a chicken salad using some of the herb dressing. Chopped apple adds additional green flavor and a nice texture.

Goddess-y Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, torn into medium-large chunks
1 small apple, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons or so of Goddess-y dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Serve on greens or in sandwiches. Serves 2.



Posted on Minxeats.com.