Holiday Eggplant Dip Receipes

Love making this great eggplant dip on New Years Eve for people to nibble while drinking their cocktails.  Never lasts long in my house!

•  1 ½  lb eggplant (2 med)
• 3 tbs veg oil
• 2 tea oriental sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TB chopped fresh ginger
• 3 scallions, trimmed and minced
• ¼ tea dried red pepper flakes
• 3 ½ TB soy sauce
• 3 TB light brown sugar
• 1 TB rice wine vinegar
• 1 TB fresh lemon juice
• 2 TB chopped cilantro

Cook eggplant whole, coat with 1 TB. oil, prick and roast 40 minutes.   Cool, peal and put pulp in food processor till smooth.   Heat 2 TB. oil with sesame oil on med-high heat.  Add ginger, garlic, scallions, red pepper flakes.  Cook quickly (1 min). Whisk together with soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar.  Add to skillet and bring to boil.  Stir in eggplant & simmer 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cilantro.  Serve with pita toasts.

This one a friend of mine, Amy, made while on a girls weekend in Chicago.  Really delicious.  A must try.

• 3 medium eggplants
• 3 medium onions
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 3 TB dried mint, 3 TB fresh mint
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 TB Kashk + more for garnish

Skin the eggplant, slice into 1/2 in slices, sprinkle with salt, and after 15 minutes pat dry. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and brown under broiler.  Mash eggplant using a potato masher (or food processor.  Add about 2 TB Kashk, pepper and salt.

Slice the onion thinly and caramelize over med-high heat using about 3 TB olive oil.  Saute the mint and garlic till lightly golden.

Spread the eggplant on serving dish, decorate with Kashk, caramelized onion, and garlic mint mixture.h