The other day I was skimming through Facebook and found an article that someone linked to that basically was trying to prove that baby carrots are the devil and that anyone who eats them is likely a minion and not to be trusted. As an avid baby-carrot buyer I was, of course, shocked and appalled to find out that I myself must be a minion of the anti-Christ. While many of the points were valid (baby carrots are regular carrots whittled down, they may not be as sweet as regular carrots, you don’t get the carrot tops with them, etc) I just can’t imagine that my soul’s eternal destiny is linked to the size of the carrot I enjoy as a healthy snack.
Thank goodness for Jesus, amen?
While the carrot article certainly didn’t scare me away from baby carrots, we had a TON of the regular big ones in our fridge from this past weekend; a by-product of overestimating how many carrots it takes to make homemade sushi. Luckily I had an eggplant dip recipe I’ve been making for weeks now that paired perfectly with a few extra veggies!
This dip is so jam-packed with flavor it’s not even funny. It’s creamy and decadent, with a deep earthiness from the whole-roasted eggplant. There’s a little tang from the lemon juice and yogurt. And all of the spices add a full gamut of goodness that you just can’t get enough of! I have made this dip with homemade crusty bread, but if you’re looking for something healthier then it’s always good to stick with raw veggies.
One small note here: you’re going to want to totally puree this one if you aren’t a fan of eggplant seeds (which I am not). I feel like their texture can be off-putting, but if you love it chunkier? Be my guest! All we really need to know is that this goodness is addictive and good for you, at the same time.
Oh, and baby carrots are cool too 😉
HEALTHY MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT DIP
Makes approximately 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 (5.3 ounce) container plain Greek yogurt (I usually use 0% fat)
- juice from half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small (or one large) cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Wash and dry the eggplant, then prick it all over with a fork.
- Place on a baking sheet (foil makes for an easier clean-up) and bake the eggplant whole for one hour.
- Allow to cool completely before making the dip.
- When the eggplant is cool, slice it in half and scoop out all of the flesh and seeds and add it to a blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender.
- Blend until completely smooth, stopping to test for seasoning and the scrape down the sides if necessary.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days…if it lasts that long!
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