Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip! (see recipe below)
Another Sunday, another day of food, football & friends. :)
Although we have a smaller crew today we’re still having a great time…and we definitely didn’t skimp on the food!
Jay & I always have such a fun time with Joe & Kate!
Oh and of course, we can’t forget about Cody!
“C’mon Mom, really? Just let me watch the game…”
So like I said, we definitely didn’t skimp in the food department. Here’s a look at some of the spread:
Fresh veggies – who says football food has to be unhealthy?
CHEESE! (FYI: This cheese was absolutely PHENOMENAL.)
Kate brought over this block of Maple Leaf Apple Harvest Cheddar Cheese with Cinnamon that she found at Price Chopper yesterday to share…and I was SO GLAD that she did. The cheese just screamed FALL; the perfect flavor of cinnamon, tiny chunks of apple, and subtle cheddar flavor, this cheese was amazing.
Sassy Spinach Cream Cheese dip – also courtesy of Kate :)
Buffalo Chicken Dip, done completely by Jay. He was so proud. :) It may not photograph well, but we all know how fantastic buffalo chicken dip is!
Tomato, Mozz, & Basil Bruschetta :)
To make: I simply cut up some of the Italian bread I picked up at the Farmers Market yesterday, lightly toasted it, and topped it with a bruschetta dip mix I had in the pantry, some diced tomatoes, fresh basil, and a little mozzarella cheese. Then I lightly drizzled a little EVOO & balsamic vinegar, popped ‘em under the broiler until the cheese was melted, and VOILA…bruschetta!
Aaaaand, a NEW recipe! Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip.
I’ve had an eggplant sitting in the fridge for a few days now, and it was time to put it to use. After browsing the Eating Well website for a while, I came across this recipe that sounded like it could possibly be a winner. I made a couple minor changes, but followed the recipe for the most part.
Let me tell you…it was definitely a winner! Not only was it suuuuper easy to make, but the flavors in this dip were amazing. Even Jay liked it, and he “does not do eggplant.”
I served my dip along with some parmesan & herb pita chips…and may have possibly eaten my body weight in it all. ;)
Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip
(Original recipe can be found here)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant, (about 1 pound)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of sugar
Directions:
- Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler.
- Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
- Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to help prevent discoloring. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, basil, parsley, chili powder and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed.
- Serve with pita chips and ENJOY! :)
Time to watch the Jets game!! Keeping my fingers crossed for a better showing than last week. :roll:
Sana says
I literally drooled looking at you party spread! I may not enjoy watching football but I am down to eat :)
Jennifer says
YUM! Excellent ideas for football food, thanks for sharing!
Tina says
That’s my kind of football food!!! :D
I love fall and all the football. Glad you had a good one!
Di @ http://thetreadmilldiaries.com says
The eggplant dip looks amazing. I bet that mixed with some pasta and grilled chicken it would make for an interesting pasta salad. May have to test out that theory. :)
katiivey says
We’re watching the Broncos/Seahawks over here :> With leftover homemade pizza from lunch…your spread looks great!
Christina @ Food.Fun.Fabulous says
Yay Jets! I was trying to do homework at the same time but was able to watch some of it. It’s even more hilarious that my boyfriend is a Patriots fan. I totally rubbed it in his face haha :)
ellaroo88 says
I love your glasses!
snackgirlgoeshealthy says
Everything looks great!
Shanna, like Banana says
That cheese sounds divine..oh yummm
Carrie says
So, I just bought an eggplant that is *supposed* to be for baba ganouj. But, there’s a new recipe in front of me…truth be told it will still be baba ganouj. It’s my weakness.
Laugh and Cook says
I’d dive in that dip! Looks so delicious!
CaSaundra says
Your group of friends always looks like so much fun–love it! And that food? Yes, please!
Brenda says
Soooo glad the Jets beat the Pats!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Oh my gosh, all that food looks great!! I love that you go all out for games- even when it’s just a small group, you make the eats so fun! Hope you have a wonderful start to your week!
wnk505 says
the eggplant recipe looks to die for! Along with the buffalo dip. I have never had buffalo dip before but have always wanted to try it.
I need to throw a football get together!
Chicago Cuisine Critique says
That eggplant dip looks great. I agree that footfall foods do not have to be unhealthy. I just did a post on something similar! :)