Roasted eggplant and bell pepper dip

A couple of months ago, I found several episodes of Ina Garten’s TV show Barefoot Contessa on YouTube, and they became a bit of an addiction. I usually watch or hear something while I draw and for a few weeks, Ina Garten was it. There is a lot to love in her shows—the food, her beautiful garden and kitchen, but its not all wonderful and I found myself squirm more often than I liked. Every time Garten talked about cooking for her husband in an effort to “keep” him, I face-palmed. In some episodes, it was close to impossible to look beyond the regressive storyline and focus on the cooking. And so I am thankful, that I did spot some recipes that I wanted to try. This roasted eggplant and bell pepper dip is one of them. We’re big fans of this combination of ingredients, and finding a new way to eat them is always welcome.

Roasted eggplant and bell pepper dip
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp red chilli powder
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the chopped eggplants, bell pepper and onions with the minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and chilli powder. Spread them on the lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, tossing once during cooking, until the vegetables turn a little brown and become soft. Once roasted, allow them to cool for about 20 minutes.

3. In a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, pulse the roasted vegetables, lemon juice and tahini, till all the ingredients are blended together.

4. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the chopped parsley. Garnish with the extra parsley and serve.