Green Olive Dip

In Malta as is all of the Mediterranean for that matter, olives are part of our daily diet. We use them in salads, pizza toppings, sandwiches, stuffed, to produce olive oil and more. In this tasty and quick recipe we just whizzed up a delicious dip, paste, pâté, tapenade, call it whatever you like. You can serve this at a dinner party with some crackers, use it in salads or even in recipes like our delicious Pasta & Aubergine Bake. Olives are very healthy, in fact they are a great source for Vitamin E and they are great for snacking. Give this recipe a go and am quite sure that everyone at home will love it. You will need...

• 300g green pitted olives, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• A small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to...

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz slowly whilst adding the olive oil until you get the desired consistency. Do not put too much as you do not want it too oily and runny.
2. Serve with bread, crackers or whatever you prefer.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Romanian Aubergine Dip - Salata de Vinete

This Romanian speciality is an aubergine based dip or spread that is usually served on toast with sliced tomatoes. It is very tasty and easy to prepare. It is great served as a snack or starter to your meals. It is very popular in Romania. To prepare it you will need...

• 1 large aubergine
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Sliced tomatoes, to serve
• Salad, to serve
• Toasted bread, to serve

How to...

1. Prick the aubergine with a fork in various places.
2. Grill it until the skin is charred from all sides.
3. When done, peel it carefully and scoop the flesh out on a chopping board. Chop the aubergine flesh very finely. Put in a bowl, add the onion, salt & mix well. Add the mayonnaise and mix again.
4. Toast a couple of slices of bread and spread it over. Serve with sliced fresh tomatoes if you wish.

Enjoy!!
R&A