My standard information nowadays … We are still in Southern France resp. Northern Spain …
It is hot, really hot … & for dinner it’s most of the days a cold affair: fresh bread, ham, cheese … & some dip (or more than a single dip!). So I remembered my aubergine dip …
In the past: Aubergines (aka eggplant) & I – we did never become close friends. I’m fond of beautiful aubergines, but coming to preparing them I vividly remember some bitter, salty tastes, some rather undone oily vegetable … So I always tried to forgo aubergines. I was working hard on Pasta alla Norma,(and I am still!), however, until now there wasn’t any outstanding success. (Especially my better half wasn’t convinced of the test series …)
Today: In the meantime I made peace with aubergines. I often prepare some mix of vegetables like peppers, courgette, onions, aubergines … on a baking tray – it’s a great side dish resp. the basis for a vegetable pasta sauce! Also I created my version of an aubergine dip …
So now the original cooking process for the aubergine dip … w/ my notes concerning being on travel in between.
What do we need?
It’s quite simple:
- an aubergine
- Greek yoghurt
- feta cheese
- spring onions
- dried thyme & dried sage
- ground sweet paprika.
We simply cut the aubergine into slices of about 1 – 1,5 cm.
Start preheating the oven to 175 °C fan.
We place the aubergine slices on a baking tray & spread some olive oil on them before roasting in the oven for 25 – 30 min.
In the meantime we chop the spring onions & start frying them. When beginning to get soft add the feta cheese as well as thyme & sage – not to mention some pepper.
As soon as the feta cheese is becoming soft transfer the mess in a bowl & let it cool down. Add balsamic vinegar.
As soon as the roasted aubergine has cooled down peel off the skin & save the pulp. Add some Greek yoghurt & puree w/ an electric handheld blender.
Finally: Add the rest of the Greek yoghurt & mix. Add the ground paprika & mix. Add the spring onion-feta mess & mix.
At this point … what did I change in Southern France?
I hadn’t any electric handheld blender – so I simply used a fork to mash the really soft aubergine … no spring onions, but white onions … I skipped the ground sweet paprika … I had herbs of Provence instead of any other dried herbs … it was fine!
Almost ready … Drizzle some olive oil over the aubergine cream … All we need now is some fresh bread …
Enjoy!
- 1 aubergine (about 400 g)
- 3 – 4 spring onions
- 100 g feta cheese
- 150 g Greek yoghurt
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp ground sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for frying & some more for the aubergine slices)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper
- some olive oil for serving – optional
- an electric handheld blender
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C fan.
- Cut the aubergine into thick slices (1 – 1,5 cm) & arrange them on a baking tray lined w/ baking parchment.
- Spread some olive oil over the slices.
- Then transfer the baking tray in the preheated oven & let the aubergine slices roast for about 25 – 30 min.
- Chop the spring onions & start frying in olive oil – softly.
- Crumble the feta cheese & add to the spring onions after about 4 – 5 min.
- Add thyme & sage as well as pepper.
- Fry for another 2 – 3 min to soften the feta cheese.
- Put the mess in a bowl & add the balsamic vinegar – mix well.
- Afterwards let the aubergine slices cool down before peeling off the skin.
- Mash the aubergine pulp w/ a fork, add some of the Greek yoghurt & process into a soft cream w/ a handheld blender.
- Add ground paprika, the spring onion-feta mess & the rest of the Greek yoghurt & mix well.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- optional: Drizzle some olive oil over the mess.
