About two weeks ago I went to the town to do my grocery shopping. While browsing through the fresh produce section, keeping also an eye on Tiffany not to jump out of the cart despite the seat belt I stopped to pick some tomatoes. Near me a lady with a little girl were buying peaches.
Nothing unusual, right? Wrong! They were talking Romanian! Except my friends and family whom we actually really talk since mostly we keep in touch via email or/and messenger I haven’t heard nor spoken Romanian in a couple of months. I was so happy I could hear someone, so far away from home speaking my sweet native language.
We talked for a couple of minutes and with every word spoken I realize how much I miss my family. Most of them I haven’t seen in nearly two years.
We came home that day and I started browsing through the travel sites looking for the best deals. Next day we had out tickets!! I was so excited. I’m going to see my family for 5 weeks. Tiffany is going to meet her cousins, grandparents, grand-grandparents for the first time!
Now don’t remove my feeds from your reader, I’m not leaving tomorrow 
This roasted dip and chips remind me of my grandparents house. All summer she’d roast eggplants, tomatoes and sometimes peppers and make the most delicious and gone in seconds dip.
I twisted a little bit the recipe adding some ground almonds and cutting down on the oil.
Back home there’s also an eggplant dip or spread but it calls for mayo and I rarely make or eat it.
The chips, are mini flat breads cut in fourth. Grandma used to make her bread in a wood fire oven and the lower crust was so yummy-licious that would disappear in no time. And the smokey flavor, mmmm
Let’s get baking
Roasted vegetable dip and pita chips
Start with the dip (quantities can be easily changed)
Turn the broiler on.
Wash and prick eggplants with a fork. Place them on a roasting pan. Wash 5-6 tomatoes and place them near the eggplants.
Roast the veggies until they become soft and a little charred. Let them cool slightly and peel, placing the veggie into a colander and leave them to drain couple of hours or even overnight.
When drained, ground 1/2 cup almonds in your food processor.
Add the eggplants and pulse a couple of time.
Leaving the tomatoes’ cores out, add the flash to the food processor and pulse again.
Now finely chop 1 big onion and 1-2 garlic cloves and saute in 2-3 tbsp olive oil for a couple of minutes until soft translucent.
Add them, along with the oil, to the dip. Stir and season to taste.
Now that the dip is done you can start making the pita.
In a bowl sift together 1 cup bread flour, 1 cup while whole wheat flour and a pinch of salt. You can use just bread flour or even all purpose flour.
Make a well in the middle and add 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon on dry yeast over and let it dissolve until it bubbles.
With the dough hook on start kneading slowly adding warm water until the dough is elastic and cleans itself from the sides of the bowl.
Place the dough into a greased bowl and leave it to rise until double in volume.
Preheat the oven at 450F.
When the dough is risen divide it into 6 balls.
On a lightly floured surface flatten 3 dough balls and place them into the hot oven. Do not let them rise again.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, turning them after 5-6 minutes to prevent the air pocket pressing them a little.
Keep the 3 pitas covered with a towel while you flatten and bake the remaining 3 pitas.
When all the pitas are baked, cut them in fourth and serve immediately.
Leftover dip can be stored covered in the fridge for a couple of days.
Pita chips are best eaten the day are made.
That’s about it for today, hope you’re having a wonderful day and next time you have guests over surprise them with this delicious dip.
Sending you lots of love,
Roxana
{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
loved the roasted veggie dip roxana !!
Both very tasty and healthy. Moreover, a simple making. just for me:) I have only known avacado dip sos. Thank you.
I love love love dips1 I am such a dip freak so this is just right up my alley and it looks fantastic!
"Tiffany is going to meet her cousins, grandparents, grand-grandparents for the first time!"
And don't forget about her future husband and in-laws
Gorgeous, healthy dip. Wonderful job. I need to nab an eggplant at the store and get busy.
I love this healthy dip. Would like to try it too.
A delicious vegetable dip! Love your homemade pita chips too.
I am sure you will have a lovely time with your cousins etc. and will come back with more delicious dishes.
Wonderful dip and bread. My weekend menu is fixed. Want to join us or will you be with your family?
@Droopina -we were thinking of sneaking in and out of the country, guess that plan has failed.
Can't wait to see you again. Hugs
@Archana -I think I can swing by your house this weekend. Let me know what time, hate being late.
It looks like you removed the skin on the eggplant before pureeing, correct?
Amy @ A Little Nosh
@Amy – you have to peel both tomatoes and eggplants before you let them drain, I have never let the skin(peel) on.
That is great news:) Hope everyone has a wonderful time….
Vegetable dip sure sounds yummy.. I never tried making pitta bread at home …. awesome combo:) Enjoy..
Reva
I love this recipe Roxana! It is so healthy and looks delicious. I'm really excited for you about your planned trip to see your family
Roxana, this roasted vegetable dip looks so delicious and your homemade pitas are amazing! Great job on these! I could so picture myself sitting outside and enjoying some of that dip this summer. Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations on the tickets to Romania! I have good friends who are there "back home" right now.
This looks amazing. I love anything with roasted eggplant and we have some growing in the garden. I think it has this recipe's name all over it!
Have a save trip.
They look delicious! Love pitas! gloria
Healthy and tasty! I love any sort of dips and I'm so glad you came up with such a delicious and healthy one for us to try =)
I could make a meal with the dip and pitas! It's a perfect summertime treat with the fresh tomatoes and eggplant.
Never made pita before..always figured its always on the shelf at the store! seems easy enough for me to try
thank you!
Making pita from scratch has been on my baking list for months…SO much better than the dry stuff I can buy around here I bet…yours looks so soft and delicious! And what a lovely dip…healthy but full of great flavor.
I'm so happy that you get to visit your family! What a fun adventure for you two! We'll miss you…but we'll be here waiting for you when you return! xoxo
This is the most perfect thing! We have been making hummus and tzaziki for a couple of weeks now but this is something new and tasty for us to make! I love that you made your own pita. I haven't made pita for way too long. It is time!
your dip looks great and wonderful to use when you have parties with vegetarians.. yum yum
I know exactly what you mean regarding you hearing Romanian, every time I go to Romanian stores here in Toronto, or I hear somebody talking in Romanian at the supermarket it reminds me how far I am from home and how much I miss it! Hope you'll have a great holiday back home
I love your roasted veggie dip, fried eggplants are my favourite!
Roxana, how exciting for you! Will you share some pictures of your visit with us? Here I am asking and you haven't even left yet!
Your vegetable dip looks fantastic, especially with your very own pita chips. I haven't had dinner yet and I'd love to have that big bowl of goodness right now.
Wow, this looks so healthy and tasty. Heart smart and all
Your pita looks so good too, I can taste it warm right out of the oven. How great that you get to go home and visit your family and they get to see your baby girl. Please keep us posted on your travels 
Roxana, I know that feeling, even if I don't talk with the person and I only hear few Romanian words or I hear something about Romania, my heart moves
I like your dip, I love eggplant spread with mayo (homemade of course), but I find interesting your idea of adding almonds to it! Lovely presentation 
Wonderful dip Roxana…so nice that you are going to see your family…I am also counting the days to go on vacations…can't wait to go.
Roxana…this is a healthy and wonderful dip. Thanks for sharing something from your home – Romania. It is a beautiful dip and I will make it one day to go with the pita chip when my Piggies are back
I am sure they will love it too 
Have a great trip back . I am sure the grandparents and cousins will be eager to see Tiffany
Elin
oooh – I love the look of your dip. Congratulations on the forthcoming trip to Romania.
I'm sure you will al have a super time
x
Hi Roxana
I never baked pita at home and I guess I should give it a try. Thanks for your nice recipes!
I'm happy for you that you go visit your family. I've been in Romania 3 weeks ago.
Thanks for reminding me that the eggplant-zacusca I made last year just finished. I have to make some more
oh my, this looks AMAZING. love the idea of roasted eggplant + tomato together!!!
I love roasted eggplants! Anything with eggplants in it has to taste great. But the almond and tomatoes seem to take it to the next level!
How exciting!! Tiffany is going to have a blast!! A healthy treat to celebrate your upcoming trip!!
sweetlife
have a great week!!
Wow you made pita chips from scratch! I'm impressed (but I know you are good at this tho). I really love the vegetable dip. Roasting makes it even more flavorful and it's my kind of dip for sure.
Now I'm so happy you got tickets to go home. All of my family is in Japan too. I miss them so much. But you know because of the nuclear reactor, we decided not to take our kids back for a while… I miss home. Luckily my mom is coming next Month for 2 weeks. I truly understand how you feel. My life would be perfect if my family is here with me. I'm really excited for you!!!
The idea of sing roasted vegi is excellent .. with that smoky flavor it will taste awsm. I am saving this recipe. I need to try making pita bread.. it's of my fav starter dish
I don't believe in coincidances…that day in the store was a moment in time which led you to making a wonderful decision…I'm thrilled for you.
Roxana…this dip is perfection…I would gladly have this as a meal a few times a week ;o)
Ciao for now and flavourful wishes,
Claudia
Oh this dip looks so delicious!! I am really excited to try this. Thanks for sharing!!
Wonderful! I'm always looking for a good dip to snack on with pita or vegetables.
wonderful flavors – a fabulous healthy dip that sounds delicious
Great recipe!
Mary
Oh I just love that you've made your own pita chips to go along with this! Sounds like such a delicious dip too =)
It is funny when you stumble on somebody from your country..:)) I usually shy away slowly:))
Great recipe Roxana..I love all the ingre. that you used!:)
I know it's not exactly the same, but whenever I come across a fellow Canadian here in the US, I get so excited. It's just nice to have that sort of bond with a stranger when you are far from home.
This dip looks delish. Right up my alley, too! I will be making this soon.
Yum, this looks wonderful!
How wonderful that you will be visiting your family
Love the dip recipe too
OMG you made your own pita bread….sigh, you my friend are simply amazing! What a wonderful tasty healthy dip, I do have try this one.
I am so happy to hear that you will be going home for a visit, you are going to have the best time and I'm sure Tiffany will be the star of the visit!
We are going to miss you so take plenty of pics to share with us!
Dennis
yummy combination deliciously done Roxana
I can understand your excitement 100%!! You are going to have a fabulous time… I bet Tiffany is gonna love it! I go to Macedonia just about every summer… and this year will be no different…I'll be there the entire month of September!
Fabulous post, Roxana! These are flavors I adore. I have made baba ganoush with eggplants, but I love the addition of tomato in your roasted veggie dip! Thanks for sharing
Bookmarking this… Sounds like an awesome trip you're planning with Tiffany! Enjoy 
How awesome that you are going home! I can't imagine how excited you must be.
Eggplant is something I had never had until about a year ago. I loved it at that meal but hated it when I tried to recreate it at home! I'll have to give this dip and try and see where I stand again. I'd love to learn to like it!
This looks heavenly!
How wonderfully healthy and yummy!! This is so much more appealing than my normal hummus and pesto.
{ 1 trackback }