Ajvar Dip (Roasted Red Pepper Sauce)

Step 1Preheat the oven to 220 °C/ 430 °F (fan assisted), or 240 °C/ 465 °F (conventional). Place whole bell peppers and eggplant in a tray. Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 2Reduce the oven temperature to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until the peppers have charred blisters and the eggplant is soft.

Step 3Remove the tray from the oven and set the vegetables aside to cool. Cover them with a damp cloth or another tray to make peeling easier.

Step 4While the vegetables are cooling, peel and finely chop the garlic. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Step 5Once cooled, peel the skins off the peppers and remove the seeds and stems. Transfer the peeled peppers to a blender. For the eggplant, make a large slit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Add the eggplant flesh to the blender. Discard the peels, stems and any excess juices.

Step 6To the blender, add the sautéed garlic, vinegar (or lemon juice), the remaining olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.

Step 7Process until smooth and creamy. Pour the blended dip into a storage container. Once it has cooled to room temperature, seal the container and refrigerate for up to a week. For longer storage, pour the dip into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in a freezer bag.

Step 8Serve as a dip with a slice of toasted quick keto bread, or crackers, with meat skewers, or in lettuce wraps.