Eggplant and Potatoes

My first year at Hunter is finished. I now have a few days off from both Lexington and Hunter. Jack is on another shoot. Therefore I have had the opportunity to catch up on reading, relax...I've learned that I much prefer to be busy. With this knowledge I set out on this gloriously sunny day in Sunnyside to the local market to find the makings for potato salad, eggplant and garlic dip, and a quiche. Good thing that tomorrow brings good weather and hopefully a bike ride with 5bbc.org , so all these yummy treats won't force me to wear only clothing with an elastic nature.

I have posted an eggplant dip recipe in the past, but this one is slightly different. It's currently cooling in the fridge. Preliminary tasting makes me think it might turn out to be a decent dip. If it's utterly distasteful...I'll post a warning.

1 eggplant
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
2 tbsp minced onion (i used more..we'll see how that turns out)
Salt and pepper

-Place eggplant on baking sheet. Cut off stem and cut some slashes on the sides. Broil for about 20 minutes or once skin is charred.
-Once cooked discard skin and mash.
-Add all other ingredients and cool in refridgeorator for at least a few hours.

The potato salad is delicious. I am planning on taking some of it with me for my packed lunch tomorrow, but I'm having a difficult time leaving it alone. I subscribe to weekly veggie recipes from peta. I am not vegan and therefore adapt some of the recipes to my lacto-ovo veggie prefrences.

2 1/4 lbs. red potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. mayo
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped red onion

Scrub and quarter the potatoes. Cook in salted water until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Whisk together the olive oil, mustard, vinegar, vegan mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, gently fold the chopped vegetables into the potatoes. Add the dressing, tossing to coat. Season to taste.

I will post the quiche recipe at another time.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Here's a little spread that is quick to make. I think I need to add something that will give it a little more kick, currently it is slightly bland for my tastes.

What you will need:

1 large eggplant

2 to 3 cloves of garlic (pressed)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

freshly ground salt and pepper

parsley for garnishing purposes

What you will need to do:

Preheat the oven to 450. 

Give the eggplant a few deep slices so it won't explode while cooking.

Place eggplant in a pan and cook until tender (about 30-40 minutes).

Once you have removed the eggplant from the oven allow to cool for about 10-15 min.

Peel the skin from the eggplant.

Place eggplant, olive oil and garlic in blender on chop mode. 

Salt and pepper.

Serve with sliced pita bread and garnish with parsley.

I do enjoy the way this tastes, but as I said I would like to figure out a way to give this little number a little more kick. It takes so little effort to make, which makes this dish great for a dinner party appetizer.