the simple five: garlic roasted eggplant dip

I usually make this eggplant dip at the spur of the moment (when eggplant is on sale or when it looks so appetizing in the store), and I end up trying to recollect the recipe as I put the eggplant in my grocery cart.  Tahini is the ingredient that I forget the most often.

This recipe is a slight modification on the traditional "Baba Ghanoush", a middle eastern
dish, but I replaced tahini with general pantry staples.  Makes a great vegetarian dip for pita breads, crackers or crudites.  Perfect for healthy snacks over the March Break.

Happy March Break!

Garlic Roasted Eggplant Dip 

Makes approximately 1 ½ cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 eggplant, large
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. sesame seed oil
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, roasted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. 
• Take the whole garlic and wrap it in tin foil.
• Roast both the eggplant and garlic for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. 
• Remove from oven.
• With a knife, slice the eggplant down the middle and scoop the contents in a bowl.
• Place eggplant, lemon juice, sesame oil, and garlic (amount of cloves to taste) in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

sowing the seeds

This has been a interesting school year so far.  I think the kids are starting to come into their own, and find their groove with the rhythm of homework, extra curricular activities and social lives.

Although we are still very involved with supporting their achievements, both academic and social,  it seems like we've started to "let loose" a little.  To let the kids make their own mistakes...to not continuously remind but let them forget on occasion, to bring their homework to school. Or to stop hounding them to complete an assignment and let them scramble and complete it at the 11th hour.

As a parent, the role of "protector" is so ingrained in us, that it's hard to let go of wanting to micromanage our kids.  Let's face it,  it's sometimes unbearable to watch them stumble because in our minds, it feels like we've failed them.

However, I think we really fail our children when we try to protect them too much.  The difficulty is trying to reassure ourselves that it's OKAY to (once in a while) let our kids feel that sting that comes with consequences.

I've always said that the hardest part of being a parent is learning to let go.  As much as it's difficult to do, I will have to keep reminding myself that they need to strive to overcome obstacles and learn from those mistakes.

Right now we're just sowing the seeds...so they can grow and become stronger.

Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a great healthy snack.  This recipe combines both salty and sweet recipes that I've used in the past.  To make these sweet, omit the salt and pepper.  To make these salty, omit the sugar and cinnamon and replace the butter with olive oil.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds (from 1 large or 2 medium size pumpkins), rinsed.
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp. brown sugar 
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• ½  tsp. pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 300° F. 
• Spread the seeds on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until dry throughout, 50 minutes. (or you can skip this step if you dry the seeds overnight, spread out on a baking sheet)
• Increase the oven temperature to 350° F.
• In a large bowl, toss the seeds with the butter, sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. 
• Return the seeds to the baking sheet continue baking, tossing occasionally, until the seeds are golden brown (approx. 10 to 15 minutes.)

Enjoy.