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.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND OLIVE SPREAD WITH PITA BREAD CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Pierce eggplants with fork. Place on baking sheet. Roast until skins are blackened and eggplants are soft, turning occasionally, about 1 hour. Cut eggplants in half. Spoon flesh into strainer set over bowl; drain 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• Meanwhile, brush pita rounds lightly with oil. Sprinkle pita rounds with salt and pepper. Cut each pita round into 6 wedges. Arrange wedges on clean baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 4 minutes; cool.
• Transfer drained eggplant to medium bowl. Mix in olives, garlic, vinegar, cumin and 1 tablespoon oil. Season spread with salt and pepper. Mound in small bowl. Serve with chips.