According to Traditional Chinese Medicine eggplants are a ‘cooling’ or yin food, making them an excellent dietary choice on hot summer days. The five TCM food types are cold, hot, warm, cool and neutral – this refers not to the state of the food, but the effect that it has on our bodies. In Chinese medicine theory eating with the seasons means that you are consuming more raw, cold and cool foods during hot months and eating predominantly hot, spicy and warm foods in the cold winter months in order to maintain balance within the body.
Examples of other cooling foods to eat this summer include: raw vegetables, apple, banana, pear, cantaloupe, watermelon, tomato, citrus, lettuce, cucumber, celery, asparagus, eggplant, spinach, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, corn and zucchini.
This eggplant dip is best served with another cooling food: sliced up cucumbers. It’s my go-to appetizer when hosting late summer BBQs at our house. Stay cool kids!
The Best Baba Ganoush Recipe
This vegan, low-carb and gluten-free dip is the perfect summer time appetizer. Smoky & flavourful, this simple recipe is made with eggplant, tahini, garlic and lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 3 small cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbs good quality olive oil
- 3 tbs tahini
- 1 tsp paprika
- a few dashes of chilli pepper sauce like tabasco
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1 tsp grape seed or avocado oil to cook eggplant
Instructions
Cut your eggplant in half and drizzle with avocado oil / grape seed oil. Place cut side down on a pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees celsius. After 30 minutes switch the oven setting to low broil and cook for 5 additional minutes. Alternatively, you could BBQ the eggplant for 15 - 20 minutes until charred and cooked through. Let eggplant cool slightly (at least 15 minutes) and add to food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth
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