EGGPLANT SALAD

EGGPLANT SALAD

One of the favorites of this household, a fantastic, and delicious appetizer, dip, eat it alone, enjoy it on sandwiches…..ohhhh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     3-4 intact eggplants – roasted on the BBQ or on open flame on your stove, ( a bit messy), cleaned and chopped with a WOODEN spoon not a metallic object or quick chopped in a blender or Magic Bullet.

2.     salt, black pepper

3.     ½ chopped onion or even better using the Magic Bullet or a blender to make an onion paste

4.     1 cup of your home made mayo (see the recipe under “How to Make Your Own Mayonnaise”) or you can skip the mayo. If you’re in a  real rush you can use the Hellmans Real mayonnaise but know that my heart is bleeding :)

5.     2 teaspoons of lemon juice

6.     ½ cup of olive oil –if you skip the mayo

When you start your BBQ it is the best time to use the charcoals to roast your eggplants turning them every 10 minutes until the juices start flowing out of it.  When you poke it with a fork it should be soft all over.  If you are making it on the stove you have a lot of clean up to do unfortunately but this is the only way it will get the roasted flavor. Take them in a bowl and let them cool a bit for about 10 minutes before you clean them. You can use a colander over the sink to put the cleaned pieces in it so the juices can leave the eggplant nice and easy in your sink.  Now you chop them up into a paste using a blender, wooden spoon (NOT A KNIFE, because it will brown the color of your eggplant) or Magic Bullet.  Set it aside in a deep dish while you chop up your onion and add it to the eggplant.

 If you decide to make it with the home made mayonnaise, please follow instructions for the home made mayo and blend it in with the eggplant mixture.  Add salt, black pepper, and lemon juice, mix it well together and put it in the fridge to cool for 30-40 minutes.  You just made an incredible appetizer to serve it on bread, pita or as a side on your salad.

If you want to skip the mayo there’s another way to make it.  After you cleaned and drained and chopped up your eggplants use a mixer and start pouring olive oil slowly into the eggplant and mixing it at the same time on medium. Add the chopped onions, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and serve it after it’s been in the fridge for 30-40 minutes to cool. You can decorate it with some black olives and chives for presentation.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                 BON APPETITE!