Eggplant Walnut Spread or Dip

Eggplant has always intimidated me. I tried to make homemade babaganouch about 5 years back and it was a serious flop. Oh a whim I ended up purchasing a nice eggplant last week since they were on sale. I'd seen the odd vegan recipe calling for it in it's ingredient list so I figured I'd give it another shot. It sat in the fridge for a few days, making me feel guilty.



I found a recipe in Robin Robertson's "1000 Vegan Recipes" that looked easy enough for my second-ever attempt at handling this purple vegetable. A little googling led me to discover that this dip was a definite favourite amongst those who'd made it.

Let me simply state that eggplant and I are now best buds! I think this spread would be great as a condiment in a wrap sandwich, or as a dip for homemade crackers.

Did you know?

Researchers at the US Agricultural Service in Beltsville, Maryland, have found that eggplants are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. Plants form such compounds to protect themselves against oxidative stress from exposure to the elements, as well as from infection by bacteria and fungi.

The good news concerning eggplant is that the predominant phenolic compound found in all varieties tested is chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plant tissues. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities. ~ whfoods.com

Thank you Robin Robertson where ever you are for such an easy impressive dip!