Minted Eggplant Dip

1/3 cup whole almonds
1 large-ish eggplant (around 1-1 ½ pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons each fresh mint and parsley, chopped
salt to taste

In a bowl, cover the almonds with hot water and leave them to soak.

Prick the eggplant a half dozen or so times with a fork. On a rimmed metal baking sheet, grill the eggplant 4 or 5 inches from the heat, flipping it over at the halfway point, for about 45 minutes. It will be completely collapsed and browning by this point.

Dump the eggplant into a colander, pull it apart with two forks, and allow it to drain, torn side down, until it’s cool enough to be handled. Now remove the pulp from the skin: this is most easily accomplished with a fork and fingers, and will involve some combination of peeling the skin and scraping the flesh; be sure to get at all the nice browned stuff right by the skin.

Drain the almonds and place in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the eggplant and process until as finely blended as possible, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Now add the eggplant and process again until smooth(ish). Taste it and add more salt, lemon, or oil as needed. Serve.

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Blue cheese dip

1 cup blue cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix everything together.

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What do the food critics say? I made it for our house warming party - I'm pretty sure it was all eaten.
What does the cook say? Easy party dip.

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Source: somewhere on the internet

Baked artichoke dip

1 can/bottle artichokes
1 box silken tofu OR 1 large tub ricotta
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2/3 cup yoghurt

Blend tofu/ricotta, artichokes, garlic, then mix in remaining ingredients.

Bake at 180C for 45 min. Serve with extra parmesan on top.

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What do the food critics say? Yum!
What does the cook say? Easy and good... but note that if you substitute the ricotta for cottage cheese, it's very, very salty. I haven't tried with tofu.

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Source: somewhere on the internet

Olive-capsicum tapenade

4 red capsicums, chopped
2T olive oil
50g olives, pitted
2 cloves crushed garlic
4T balsamic vinegar

Fry the capsicums until soft. Blend everything. Adjust vinegar to taste.

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What do the food critics say? Yum, as long as you like olives
What does the cook say? Easy party dip.

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Source: my neighbour

Roasted Carrot Dip

1 ½ lbs carrots, ends removed
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 t sweet paprika
1 t ground coriander
½ t salt
1/8-¼ t cayenne, depending on how hot you want it

Scrub carrots, slice lengthwise, and cut into chunks. Lay in a flat pan big enough for all carrot pieces to have space around them.

Drizzle with 1 T of the olive oil, and mix to coat. Roast at 425 F for 10-15 minutes or until soft, turning once.

Combine the carrots and all other ingredients in a food processor. Mix until smooth. Can add more lemon juice or more oil if it is too thick.

Serve with crackers or as a spread on bread.

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Fig-Olive Tapenade

1/2 cup stemmed and quartered dried Black Mission figs
1 cup water
1 cup black olives
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 Tbs capers, rinsed and drained
2 anchovy fillets
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary or thyme
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 – In a small saucepan, simmer the figs in the water with the lid askew for 10-20 minutes, until very tender. Drain.

2 – In a food processor, pulse the olives, figs, garlic, capers, anchovies, mustard, rosemary, and lemon juice to create a thick paste. Pulse in the olive oil until you’ve achieved a chunky-smooth paste. Don’t overdo it; good tapenade should be slightly rough. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Fig-Olive tapenade can be made up to two weeks in advance and stored in the fridge. It’s better served at least a day after it’s made.

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