Eggplant Dip

I have a friend who quietly 'sploded the number of people who read this blog, then I promptly got a job over the other side of the city and everything is getting lost in the commute. Apologies all round.

Here's a quick recipe. It's based on a recipe sticker I found on the side of an eggplant, but it's improved because the original was frankly crap. I made this for a friend's party and it got the thumbs up, even from non-eggplant lovers.

Eggplant Dip

1 large eggplant
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
sprinkle paprika
1/2 tsp balsamic
1/2 tsp mushroom ketchup/vegan worchestershire sauce (opt.)
1 tsp olive oil (opt.)

Set oven to 220°C.
Cut eggplant in half. Place cut side down in a baking tray with 1cm of water in the bottom. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the skin of the eggplant chars. Scoop out the flesh and mash (or puree). Let it cool, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir thoroughly.

Sweet Chilli Sauce (Mark 1)

I was planning on posting my modified recipe for banana cake today, since I seem to have left my brand-spanking-new recipe for beetroot chutney at my parents' house. Unfortunately, my banana cake recipe (taken from my mother's recipe card index and improved on) has also gone walkabout. So, I bring you something else.

My girlfriend and I, as well as being vegan, are also big fans of wholefoods and slow foods. What this boils down to is that we like to make as much of what goes into our bodies as we can, from as early in the process as possible. So, last night she asked for sweet chilli sauce. It's imperfect, and I want to experiment with cooking it for a bit, and maybe with some cornflour to thicken.

Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tB (15 mL) golden syrup
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/8 tsp finely chopped chilli

Combine in a bowl. Drizzle over food to make instantly more delicious.


It's really that simple. I made four times this quantity, in order to experiment with the vinegar, as the sauce is less viscous than I would like. That amount has been sufficient for dinner last night and lunch today, but you could probably make much more, keeping the ratios intact, and keep it in the fridge in a boiled jar. I'm not sure how long it would keep once the jar was opened, but I'd suggest not longer than a month.