Anyone who’s ever eaten at my mum’s house (or any of my aunt’s houses) knows that aubergines take centre-stage. They are a Mediterranean staple and are so versatile.
Funnily enough, I actually hate the smell of aubergines grilling, so I actually put them in the grill when I don’t need to stay in the kitchen then go and get on with something else until they are ready. I really don’t know what it is about that smell, but once they are grilled and ready to use, it’s a different story.
My family recipe for this involves tahini instead of yoghurt, but I wanted to make it a little more lemony and zesty and the yoghurt works really well.
As many of you know, I tend to stay away from dairy, but have recently introduced grass-fed, organic butter from Daylesford for Brax and I, to give us a bit of a Vitamin K boost, seeing as I don’t eat meat. When I went into the Daylesford shop in Marylebone – who by the way are simply amazing and I urge you to visit their farm if you haven’t already – they had some organic yoghurt on the shelf so I bought it and used it in this dip. I know that their cows are treated like queens so I was happy to buy it.
In terms of health, I don’t think that dairy is particularly good for gut flora, but a little bit of live yoghurt and grass-fed organic butter do have their benefits. If not organic, the issues with dairy are too many and too severe to even mention. Ethically, and especially after becoming a mother myself, I couldn’t fathom the idea of buying a product that has been produced by ripping a day-old calf away from its mother. And health-wise, non-organic dairy cows are pumped full of steroids, antibiotics and growth hormones, all of which increase our risk of cancer as we are simply adding to the daily onslaught of toxins in our lifestyle. I also believe that the sadness from the suffering of these cows is something we ingest spiritually.
All-in-all, non-organic or non-Ahimsa dairy is a no no for me, and I urge you to consider its implications on your health and the environment if you haven’t already.
Now onto the good stuff…
Ingredients
2 aubergines
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbsp natural organic yoghurt
1 garlic clove
A good handful fresh parsley
Himalayan salt & black pepper
Method
Cut the aubergines in half, lengthways, drizzle the flesh with some olive oil and grill for around 30-40 minutes or until they are very soft and starting to blacken but not too burnt.
Once ready, remove the peel and place the flesh in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients.
Taste, and add more lemon juice, seasoning or yoghurt if it needs it.
Serve chilled.
Love & health,
Lauren
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