Roasted Eggplant Dip

Last week, I roasted up some eggplant, and it turned out quite fabulous indeed. But between me and my ever-hungry brother, we still couldn't quite polish off all the eggplant. And thus another idea was born -- we decided to turn the remaining eggplant into a dip. This led to a wild internet search to find the easiest, tastiest eggplant dip, and here is what we found!

Adapted from Eating Well's Roasted Eggplant Dip & Chocolate Zucchini's Roasted Eggplant and Goat's Milk Yogurt Dip. 

Ingredients:
-1 cup leftover or freshly roasted eggplant (instructions to follow)
-1/2 a tomato, chopped
-three to four large basil leaves, roughly chopped
-three to four mint leaves, chopped
-1/2 cup plain yogurt
-lemon juice to taste
-freshly ground black pepper

If you are roasting the eggplant fresh, here's what you will need:
-1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1-square inch pieces
-one clove of garlic, roughly chopped
-1/4 of an onion, roughly chopped
-salt and pepper
-olive oil
-Mrs. Dash's Extra Spicy Blend (optional)
-chili powder (optional)

Method: Roasting the Eggplant
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 F.
2. In an appropriate bowl, toss together the eggplant pieces, onions, and spices. I like to throw in the chili powder and Mrs. Dash for that spicy kick, but they are both optional.
2. Arrange eggplant and onions on a foil-lined baking tray, making sure that no pieces overlap or are too crowded. Top the eggplant with the chopped garlic.
3. Bake the eggplant and onions at 400 F for about 10 minutes or until they begin to soften (test with a fork). Flip eggplants and onions over and broil for another 10 minutes, or until cooked completely.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool. At this point, you can either remove the skins from the eggplant or leave them on. The first time I made the dip, I left the skins on by accident, but it didn't ruin the dip, just made it a bit difficult to blend everything properly.

Method: For the Dip
1. In a blender, combine the roasted eggplant with a little bit of olive oil, basil, mint, tomato, lemon juice and pepper.
2. Begin blending. Once this mixture is well blended, slowly add in the yogurt a little bit at a time. Blend until everything is homogenized.
3. Store in the refrigerator or preferably, eat fresh with a warm pita pocket.
**I kept my dip for about three days, after which it began to get kind of watery and strange. It's best if you plan ahead and eat the dip the same day or at least within the next day or two. 

Roasted Eggplant

I have been on a bit of a health kick lately, taking cues from my health-nut, vegetarian friends, and also, trying to eat healthier as a part of my new year's resolution. So far, even though it's only been one week, I would say that it's going quite well: I've been eating more fruits and veggies, cutting back on oily, fatty, and refined/packaged foods, and I've been working out in some form or another at least 6 days a week. Hurrah!

So last week, there was nary a single edible food in my pantry or fridge. However, I had at my disposal a whole host of vegetables, grains, fruits and spices. I've been wanting to roast vegetables in our toaster oven for the longest time, and I really had no desire to eat Ramen noodles for lunch, so I gave it a go. This time, it was roasted eggplants, and surprisingly, they turned out quite good, and were both delicious and healthy to boot!

Eggplants are ideal if you're trying to eat healthy: they are very filling, require very little oil to cook (if you do it correctly), and are packed with fiber, potassium, antioxidants, trace elements, and are low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. It's a win-win situation, really. And, this just gives me one more way to enjoy eggplants, which are one of my favorite vegetables!

Here's how to make your own roasted eggplants. Recipe adapted from Food, Fitness, Fresh Air's Simply Roasted Eggplant. 

Ingredients:
-Two slender Japanese eggplants (the dark purple variety)
-Olive Oil
-Mrs. Dash's Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend
-Salt and Pepper
-Other Spices: coriander powder, garlic powder, chili powder
-Ethnic spices: Amchur (crushed mango powder), Garam masala (an Indian spice blend) - both available in your local Indian store or the International section of your local grocery
-two medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
-1/2 onion, roughly chopped into large pieces (you can also add in bell peppers, if desired)
-dry or fresh parley leaves

For serving:
-Pita pockets
-butter (optional)
-tomato slices
-hummus (any kind)
-lettuce 

Method:
1. Since the eggplants were quite long, I cut them into thirds and then halved each third. So, from two eggplants I had 12 roughly same-sized pieces.
2. In the meantime, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. In a flat dish or plate, combine about 1/8 cup olive oil with 1/8 teaspoon each of: coriander powder, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash to taste, depending on how spicy you want your eggplant.
4. Add 1/8 teaspoon of Garam Masala.
5. Add Amchur to taste. The Amchur, or crushed mango powder, adds a tangy, fruity flavor that goes really well with the eggplant's natural taste. I added about 1/2 a teaspoon to my mix.
6. Mix the olive oil and spices really well, until all spices are dissolved.
7. Brush oil onto each piece of eggplant, making sure that all sides are evenly covered. You don't need to put a lot of oil on the eggplants - just make sure that all surfaces are covered.
8. Lightly toss the onions (and/or bell peppers) in remaining oil. If there is none left, toss with 1/2 teaspoon of plain olive oil.
9. Line baking tray with aluminum foil and arrange eggplants white side up and onions so that no pieces overlap. This is to ensure that all pieces cook evenly.
10. Top each piece of eggplant with a few pieces of chopped garlic. This will enhance the flavor of the eggplant.
11. Bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to soften (test with a fork). Flip eggplants over to skin side up, and then broil for about 10 more minutes. The broiler crisps the skin of the eggplant, while leaving the insides tender.
12. Cool and serve with hummus, lettuce, and tomatoes inside warm pita pockets.
Enjoy!

Breakfast Blues | Oatmeal

Breakfast, as you all know, is the most important meal du jour. I certainly didn't believe in the hoopla till I went to a few of my morning classes hungry -- and realized that starving while trying to learn about the ins and outs of Developmental Biology or the mechanisms behind parallel circuits is not really conducive in any way. And the next time I actually went to class after a filling breakfast - ta-da! Energy and concentration galore, amazing notes, and a not a single grumble from my stomach. It was a miracle, really.

But - I'm ready for your objections. I don't have time for breakfast, you say. I don't have a meal plan to cover breakfast, you say. I don't even know what to eat, you say. Worry not, college-goer - I have the perfect solution for you. Oatmeal. Yes, you heard correctly - oatmeal. That sort of gray, bland-ish stuff that old people eat (I kid!!). However, I have discovered that oatmeal does not have to be bland or grey - it can actually be delicious, nutritious and filling at the same time. Again, a miracle, really.

During the school year, I tend to buy the pre-packaged, individual portions of Quaker oatmeal (my favorite is Walnut and Raisin), but after a little digging on the internet, I've decided to make my own oatmeal. It's quite easy to do - and in the long run, is both cheaper and healthier than the store-bought flavored oatmeal. Another added bonus - if you don't have time to make your own oatmeal, you can easily purchase it at coffee shops like Starbucks and Au Bon Pain, and at other stores as well.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal

So, here goes! Adapted from Amateur Gourmet's Sunday Morning Oatmeal.

Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 cup dry oatmeal (I used regular Quaker 1-minute oatmeal)
Milk or water 
1 cup fresh fruits (can substitute thawed frozen fruits or dry fruits)
handful of golden raisins, dried cranberries, or other dry fruits  
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
Honey
Brown or white sugar to taste 
Handful of nuts of your choice (I prefer sliced almonds and walnuts) 

Method:
1. In a microwavable bowl, add in your dry oatmeal, and top with enough milk or water to cover completely. I prefer milk over water because it gives a creamier consistency, and is more filling than water. Add sugar (I use about 1 teaspoon), cinnamon and nutmeg.
*optional: you can throw in some of your dry fruits here too - I like my raisins to be a bit soft, so I let them cook with the oatmeal.
2. Heat for about 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave, or until oatmeal is very hot. Stir and reheat for another 30 seconds.
3. Stir well again. Top off with fresh fruits, nuts and a drizzle of honey.
4. Enjoy!