Veggie Spreads are the Perfect "Stealth" Food

In the effort to get more fruits and veggies into your diet, it can be challenging to find creative and delicious ideas. Here's one of them, straight from my childhood: roasted vegetable spreads, in particular eggplant spread, which my mother used to make when I was growing up.

Eggplant Spread
Place two unpeeled, pierced medium-sized eggplants and one large unpeeled sweet onion, halved crosswise and flesh-down, on a baking sheet or roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Roast in a 350-degree oven for about an hour, until both are soft. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove eggplant stem, eggplant peel and onion skin from vegetables. Place flesh in a large bowl and chop with a hand chopper (or place in food processor and pulse to chop). Add salt and pepper to taste, white vinegar and a tablespoon or so of sugar, and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Chill and serve, either alone or on whole-grain crackers and bread or as a dip for crudite. You can also mix with whole-grain pasta and serve warm or chilled as a pasta salad.

Roasting the veggies makes them sweet and gives them depth of flavor. Try experimenting with other veggies, such as cherry tomatoes, carrots, beets or cauliflower and then mashing them together with the onion (and possibly whole garlic cloves) to create your own flavorful and healthful spreads. For veggies that burn easily, spray with cooking spray or coat with olive oil before roasting. Enjoy!