Chickpea and Roasted Eggplant Dip

We try not to snack too much around here (my husband, is a chipaholic) but we usually have some homemade hummus on hand for a healthy snack when we need one.  I'm a huge fan of hummus.  I still remember being in my early 20's sitting on our apartment balcony with my best friend chatting while she ate her daily bagel with hummus.  Way before hummus was so popular, my friend was such a trend-setter. ;) 

Even my picky little Aaron loves hummus.  You should hear him say hummus, so funny!  Something like humNUS?  lol.

We really love Baba Ghanoush as well. If you've never heard of it, it is just like hummus only made with roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas.  Yum.

Last week in our veggie basket (we are buying organic Bountiful Baskets now) we got a lone eggplant and it didn't take me long to decide to make some eggplant dip.  But one little eggplant wasn't going to be enough for me and my hungry boys so I decided to make make the eggplant dip go a little farther with the addition of chickpeas.  The result was delicious!  If you like hummus, give this one a try.  It is remarkably simple if you have a good blender and the dip comes out so nice and fluffy.  

Chickpea and Roasted Eggplant Dip, by 4 Pears

1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb)

1 can chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup tahini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

To begin, preheat the oven to 375 F and prick the eggplant a few times with a fork (like a baked potato) and then put it on a sheet tray in the oven.  Roast the eggplant in the oven about 15 minutes, turning it once.  When it is done, the eggplant should be slightly blackened and puckered looking.

Set the eggplant aside to cool and in the meantime put all of the other ingredients into your blender.  Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, cut it in half lengthwise and then scoop out the flesh and put that into the blender too.  

Turn it on and let it go! If your blender has settings like ours, you want to use the puree setting.  If not just blend it for a minute or two or until everything is nice and smooth and fluffy.  Taste it and add salt if necessary. 

Serve with crackers or chips, veggies and olives.  Enjoy! 

Jalapeno Poppers

I probably haven't had a jalapeno popper in years.  You may not have noticed but we (mostly Alex) have a vendetta against prepared foods here in the 4 Pears household.  So when my husband suggested we have jalapeno poppers with our pizza the other night, I was pretty sure he didn't mean the kind that came out of the box in the freezer section.

Who makes homemade jalapeno poppers?  This girl.  They were awesome and actually quite easy.  The peppers had a bit of a crunch and the creamy filling was delicious.  I may have thought he was crazy, but they came out great and we'll definitely be making them again soon.

Jalapeno Poppers, adapted from Emeril Lagasse
8 large fresh jalapeno peppers
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup pepper jack (or another spicy) cheese
1/4 teaspoon of Essence (Emeril's spice blend, you can buy it in the grocery store or make it yourself)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (the panko makes these crispy so I wouldn't recommend substituting the regular stuff)

First prepare the filling by mixing the cheeses together in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Next work on cleaning the peppers.  You might want to wear some rubber gloves for this!  If not your hands will be covered in the spicy oils from the peppers and it is hard to get off!!  With a paring knife make a T in each pepper cutting under the stem (but not cutting it off) and then down the length of the pepper.  This creates a nice pocket.

Remove as much of the seeds and ribs as you would like.  I removed most of the seeds and ribs and my pepper were still pretty spicy.  Now stuff the filling into the pocket and squeeze to close them back up.

Heat a deep fryer or pot of vegetable oil to 370 F.  If you are using a pot you'll need to fill it about 1/3 of the way.  

While it is heating make up your batter and breading.  First mix 1/2 cup of flour with the milk and the egg.  Then on a plate combine the 3 tablespoons of flour, the panko and the Essence.

Dip each of the peppers into the batter then carefully coat them with the breading.  Once the oil is ready slide them in (in two batches so you don't crowd them) and fry for 2 minutes.  Remove them from the oil to a plate lined with paper towels and salt them.  Dig in!

Devilish Deviled Eggs

So deviled eggs may not be the most glamorous of hors d'oeuvres but I love them.  I think most people do...they always seem to disappear quickly.  I have to be especially careful with them in my house, if I make too many Alex and I will eat them all.  And plowing through a dozen eggs at one sitting just isn't good.

Despite my love of deviled eggs I hadn't made any this summer!  Shame.  So I decided to make some on Saturday and we enjoyed them....for lunch.  Anyone else eat deviled eggs for lunch?  No?  Oh well.  Take them to a BBQ instead then.

Best thing about deviled eggs (other than their yumminess of course) is that you can basically do whatever you want to them.  Here's how I made mine last weekend.

Deviled Eggs
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 c. mayonaisse
2 tsp. dijon mustard
hot sauce, to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. spicy pickles, diced
salt and peper to taste
cayenne pepper or paprika to garnish

Cut your boiled eggs in half and squeeze them gently to pop the yolks out into a small bowl.  Combine the yolks with the remaining ingredients.  Once the filling is nice and smooth, spoon it into the corner of a small plastic bag. Cut off the corner of the bag and squeeze the filling back into the eggs.  Sprinkle the tops of the eggs with a bit of cayenne pepper if you want some more kick; if not stick with paprika.  Refrigerate until serving.