Sometimes I’m so focused on making the most veggie-packed dinners that sometimes I forget about the in-between. The snacks, the breakfasts, the appetizers. I lovingly blame it on N. The meal N and I share together the most is dinner. So whenever I think about what I’m making, it usually shifts to what are N and I sharing and eating together. And 100% the time last night’s dinner becomes tomorrow’s lunch.
But there are those times, when I’m not working like a maniac or I didn’t eat quite enough lunch, when I get hungry at my desk. Those are dangerous times. Dangerous because, looming not too far from me is an office kitchen stocked with candy, pretzels, and chocolate. And it’s all too easy to just saunter over there, with the intention of just getting more water, and walking away with 2-3 fun sized candy bars. Yikes!
Noticing that I needed to spend more time bringing my own snacks, I forced myself to think outside the dinner arena and make a veggie-packed snack. One of my favorite farmers at my farmer’s market has been overflowing with eggplants lately. Even though N and I and already eaten eggplant earlier that week, I was still drawn to them. But what could I make that we haven’t had in the last few weeks? Does it have to be dinner related?
Then a lightbulb went off. What about dip! Dip can be paired with one of my favorite veggies, the carrot and are easy for snacking and bringing to work. Double the veggies! Double the win!
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, quartered
- lug of olive oil
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 large bell pepper, halved and seeded
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- juice of half a lemon
- chili powder, to taste
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425. Place eggplant, garlic, and bell pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt, paprika, and cumin on the eggplant. Roast for 20 minutes or until all vegetables are fork-tender. Let cool.
Scrape eggplant flesh out of the skins and place into into a fine mesh strainer. Over the sink, press the eggplant with a spoon to get the moisture out of it.
Rub any charred bell pepper flesh with a paper towel.
Put eggplant flesh, garlic, bell pepper, lemon juice, salt, and chili powder into a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and chili powder per your taste.