Roasted Eggplant Dip and a Bonus Dessert!

These are the last of the dishes I made with the fam over Memorial Day weekend. You are in luck my dear readers, this is a two-in-one post!

To start, we have a roasted eggplant and red pepper dip. It’s a great healthy appetizer to have around at a picnic or barbecue rather than chips and sour cream dip.

Bust out the veggies and start dippin’.

So since you had a healthy appetizer it’s totally fine to have some ice cream for dessert.

And by some I mean a lot. At least a double scoop… of  homemade Cherry Chip Ice Cream!

Michigan produces 75% of the tart cherries grown in the U.S. Every July there is a huge cherry festival up north celebrating this fruit in all its glorious forms: fresh off the tree, in pie, crumbles, tarts and even wines. Probably ice cream too!

Works like a charm 🙂

My brothers and I made the ice cream using this super old (Mom says its VINTAGE) ice cream maker. Doesn’t matter to me, it made awesomely creamy and fresh ice cream!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice open lengthwise, then scrape out the beans with the back of your knife

Homemade Cherry Chip Ice Cream

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 box instant vanilla pudding (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Add in the remaining ingredients, except for fruit and chocolate, and stir until sugar and pudding mix is well combined. Pour into your ice cream maker and prepare according to your mixer’s instructions. This ice cream will firm up a lot, but it will be reminiscent of custard in texture.

Once the ice cream maker has run its course, stir in the cherries and chips by hand. If you put them in at the beginning, the cherries will get super hard and frozen, not the best. Freeze for at least 2 hours, then devour.

 

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbl toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbl lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• olive oil*

In a 450° oven, roast the eggplant and red pepper for 40 minutes and 25 minutes, respectively. When the veggies are done, scoop out the pulp of the eggplant (discard seeds) and prepare the flesh of the red pepper (read this for tips). Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic and sesame seeds until minced. Add in the flesh of the eggplant and red pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Continue to pulse for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture is very fine, but not completely smooth. Serve warm or chill.

*Note: I didn’t use olive oil when I made the dip, but looking back, I think it would have benefited from at least 1 tbl olive oil to cut through the garlic acidity. Adjust salt accordingly.

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have great weather and good eats this weekend 🙂

– Erin