Eggplant Olive Tapenade With Homemade Pita Chips Recipes

OLIVE & EGGPLANT TAPENADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat eggplant with 1 teaspoons olive oil. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and roast it 20 minutes or until skin is blistered and brown. Set aside and peel when cool enough to handle.
• Place eggplant, olives, anchovies, capers and garlic in a food processor and blend. Once mixture is pureed, drizzle in remaining olive oil. Process until it resembles a rough paste. Serve at room temperature with crackers, pita bread or crostini.

EGGPLANT TAPENADE

Steps:

• 1. (NOTE: If you don't have or can't find Za'atar, combine 1 tablespoon each oregano, sumac, cumin, and sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and black pepper. Makes about 1/4 cup and can be stored for later uses.)
• 2. Wash off the eggplants, cut off the top and place on a large cookie sheet. Prick a few holes in each eggplant with a fork.
• 3. Bake in a pre-heated 375 deg oven for 60 minutes or until the skin has shriveled and a long fork will pierce the eggplant easily. Remove for the oven and let cool about 15 minutes before handling.
• 4. While the eggplant is baking and cooling, cut up the onions, and peppers and chop or mince the garlic set aside.
• 5. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the eggplant and discard. Put the meat of the eggplant and the seeds in a colander and squeeze out some of the liquid, but don't press it all. Put in a large mixing bowl.
• 6. Using a potato masher, mash the eggplant to the consistency that you prefer. I like to keep it somewhat chunky so it's not just a puree. This could also be done in a food processor. Add the peppers, onions, garlic and the salt, pepper, Za'atar and lemon zest and combine thoroughly. Slowly add the olive oil, a little at a time, to coat all of the tapenade, but not so it's very oily. Sprinkle on the paprika. Cover and refrigerate. This can be done the day before. It's almost better that way.
• 7. When you're ready to serve it, slice the baguettes on a bias into about 1/4" thick slices and top each slice with some of the tapenade and serve. As an option, you can leave it in a serving bowl, spread the sliced baguette on a serving plate and let everyone take their own. Slices of pita bread would work just as well. For smaller groups, reduce the measurements accordingly. Enjoy.

ARTICHOKE TAPENADE WITH PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Cut each pita bread around edge to make 2 rounds; cut each round into 8 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Mix oil and cumin; brush mixture on pita wedges. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown.
• Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Peel eggplant. Cut eggplant into fourths; cut each fourth in half crosswise. Place eggplant pieces on cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
• In food processor or blender, place eggplant and remaining tapenade ingredients. Cover; process or blend about 1 minute or until well blended. Serve with pita chips.

ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD WITH PITA CHIPS AND YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Eggplant:
• Heat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Poke holes in eggplants with a fork. Roast until they collapse, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut open, scoop out flesh into a bowl and discard skins. Mix flesh with 4 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Let sit 10 minutes. Place flesh in a fine-mesh strainer; press gently with a large spoon, squeezing out moisture. Chop eggplant. Mix in peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, chives, basil, oil and remaining 2 tablespoon lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Yogurt sauce:
• Mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
• Pita chips:
• Reduce heat to 350°F. Coat 1 side of each pita wedge with cooking spray. Sprinkle each sprayed side with Parmesan, seeds and black pepper. Bake on foil until crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve eggplant with pita chips and yogurt sauce on the side.