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Harissa, Date and Eggplant Dip

This delicious dip is great warm or cold, full of flavour and perfect with drinks over the summer entertaining months.  It would work well as a bed for sliced meat or a substantial salad too.  Play around with this one.  It’s versatile! 

Recipe by Kate Flower Food.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 8 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted and finely chopped
  • Olive oil
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 red capsicum
  • 8 garlic cloves, skin on
  • 1 ½ cups raw walnuts (reserve half for topping)
  • 2 lemons, juice and zest
  • 3 teaspoons harissa paste, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika or to taste
  • A generous grind of salt and pepper
  • Topping
  • Fresh parsley
  • ½ cup roasted walnuts (reserved from above)
  • 6 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted and torn
  • To Serve
  • 1 cup labne
  • 2 Lebanese cucumber, wedges (6 per cucumber)
  • Flatbread or toasted pita

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

2. Halve eggplant and capsicum lengthways, drizzle with oil and place cut side up on a lined baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes.

3. Add garlic to tray and roast for a further 20 minutes until all vegetables are soft and beginning to char. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

4. Meanwhile, add walnuts to a baking tray. Toast for 7-8 minutes.

5. Roughly dice eggplant and capsicum. Peel skin from roasted garlic.

6. To the food processor add: eggplant, capsicum, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice and zest, harissa paste, smoked paprika, and dates with a glug of olive oil. Blend until desired consistency is achieved.

7. Taste and adjust flavour, adding more harissa, lemon or seasoning to your preference. The dip should have a spicy hit, which works perfectly with the sweet dates and cooling labne.

8. To serve, smooth labne onto a platter, top with dip and finish with fresh parsley, additional torn dates, walnuts, toasted pita, and a side of cucumber.

Cooks Notes

1. Try using the dip as a bed for roast or BBQ lamb.

2. Use Greek yoghurt if you can’t find or make labne.

3. Try adding a bit of pan-fried bacon to the topping if you’re feeling naughty!

Espresso Date Caramel

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Espresso Date Caramel

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*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.