As promised to my friend Nina, I am posting this recipe for the first time online.  Almost a couple of years ago, I was watching a cooking show where the cook made a party dip made up of eggplant and capsicum put in a food processor for a rough texture.  Then, I made my own version of eggplant-capsicum spread which is much smoother and can be eaten with a dinner roll or an Italian bread, or any bread that you wish to have it on.

Ingredients:

Eggplants (1 big size or 4 medium size pieces of the Japanese eggplant)

2 pieces of red capsicum (red bell peppers)

1 head of garlic

1/2 cup of olive oil (you can use extra virgin olive oil if you wish for more flavor)

salt and ground black pepper

1 cup grated Parmegiano Reggiano (parmesan)

Optional ingredients:

Onion roasted in the same way as the other ingredients

A small spoon of chili flakes

Instructions:

Cut eggplant and capsicums in chunk; put them in a tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Put garlic (still with skin and whole) in a piece of aluminium foil, drizzle with oil and wrap and include it in the tray.

Put eggplant, capsicums and garlic in a pre-heated oven 220′dc.

Wait until they are cooked and roasted.  Set aside to cool down.

Gather all the oven roasted ingredients in a blender, garlic must be squeezed out of its peel;  pour in olive oil, seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Blend.  Olive oil can be added depending on how thin or thick you want the spread to be.  Adjust seasoning to your own taste.

My family loves this as spread or dip for Italian bread and dinner rolls.  Take note that the quality of the outcome of this recipe or any recipe will depend on the quality of all the ingredients.  Bon apetit!