Goats cheese and eggplant dip

It's my job to supply the nibbles on Christmas Day. As well as bloody presents for everyone. We are heading over to Portside at Hamilton for lunch, which is a relief, because they get to do the washing up. My parents, bless them, couldn't see the sense in a $250/head lunch at the casino, despite the fact that I thought it was brilliant. My dad likes to control the wine list, you see, and he would rather shave off a homeless man's beard and use it as a loofah than be part of a wine buffet.

So it's bubbles and nibbles at my folks house down in Manly to open the presents, then off to lunch, then all going well, back home for a swim and a snooze, with a late evening viewing of Love Actually.

This dip is a first-timer for me. I made it last night, it is dead-set simple and the flavours are really subtle. My luddite brother might even have some. Good thing my family don't read my blogs.

Thanks to eat365.com.au - I found this recipe from their Instagram page.

Happy Christmas everyone, and forgive the cliche, but peace on earth xx

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
150g of plain goats cheese
Lemon zest (about half the lemon but you be the judge)
2-4 tablespoons plain Greek yoghurt
To serve: chopped Italian parsley, cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, toasted wholemeal pita bread

Method

Pop on the oven to preheat to 180°C.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthways and pop them on the baking tray, skin side down. Roast for about 45 minutes then let cool.

Scrape the eggplant flesh into your food processor, had a good whack of the yoghurt (again, you be the judge as to how runny you want things), all the goats cheese and the lemon zest.

Whiz it baby.

Pop into a bowl, throw over the parsley, top with a good dollop of cranberry sauce and scatter the dried ones around. Get arty and spill them over the sides onto the resting plate. You can slush around a bit of olive oil too, if the inclination hits you.

Serve with pita break chips. These are so easy. Using your hands, tear the pita breads into cracker-size pieces, scatter in a single layer over a baking tray (no need for paper) and bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them). The leftovers will store well in an air-tight container in your pantry.