Coming back to school is always a bit of a downer for someone who loves to cook. Weshop is wildly expensive and shared kitchens aren’t ideal. When you love food, however, you sometimes have to get creative. At Wesleyan, my culinary improvisation involves raiding my friends’ LoRises and taking over their kitchens.
Over winter break, I whipped up my first batch ever of homemade hummus and was surprised at how easy it was to prepare. So when I returned to the LoRise kitchens, I considered immediately making some more. But then I found myself with a robust eggplant (which I may or may not have commandeered from a Usdan display). My first thought was to make babaganoush, but I changed my plans after seeing a recipe on minimalistbaker.com for creamy eggplant and caramelized onion dip.
Minimalist Baker is an awesome site featuring simple, quick, and delicious recipes that are perfect for college life. This eggplant dip is a perfect example of the kinds of dishes you can find. The dip is warm, creamy, garlicky, and sweet, all at the same time. It also acts as a perfect complement to pita chips. (Though I admit, after a certain point, I just grabbed a fork and shoveled the dip into my mouth like an animal.)
What’s most important about this recipe is that it is simple and conducive for college cooking. With only five ingredients, the dip is low-maintenance and won’t break the bank at Weshop (especially if you appropriate some ingredients from other on-campus locations). The next time you’re itching to cook but feel limited by the college environment, I encourage whipping up this egg-cellent eggplant dip. It will warm you up during this cold week.
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cubed
2 cups onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Toss eggplant with salt and keep in a colander in the sink for about 10 minutes to drain excess water. Then lightly rinse with water and press dry between two towels.
2. Preheat the oven to high broil and arrange eggplant cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and black pepper to taste.
3. Roast eggplant for 5-7 minutes, turning once or twice until softened and golden brown.
4. While eggplant is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and caramelize onions, stirring often. Add the minced garlic in the last few minutes.
5. Throw the onion and garlic mixture and the cubed eggplant into a food processer and blend until creamy.
6. Serve immediately with pita chips, toast, or sliced vegetables.