Polenta Cheese Crackers and a cracker of an Eggplant Melon Seed Dip … with infused olive oils

“I use a lot of spices, fresh veggies and fruit, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, avocado, soybeans and organic ingredients as often as possible. We need fat in our diets and using the healthier fats is key.”
Todd English

Polenta Cheese Crackers {and canapes} and a cracker of a dip. The oh-so-delicious smooth Eggplant Melon Seed Dip comes together in seconds. Both the crackers and the dip are beautifully flavoured by an earthy, deep, aromatic organic garlic infused extra virgin olive oil from @Azafraninfusions.If you’ve been here often, you might have heard me say that garlic is my most favourite ingredient of all time, and more often than never, savoury is what my palette yearns for. I might bake a lot of sweet stuff, but when it comes to my taste-buds, it’s savoury all the way. I’ve attempted to infuse extra virgin olive oil a couple of times but I find the process tedious. I also find particles that get left behind which I fear might carry bacteria in the long run. So when Azafran Infusions came into my life, I was absolutely delighted.What’ s not to love about an infused olive oil?  The flavours/aromas are rich, deep, earthy and add oodles to the dish. Also, the range is really nice. In the sense, I would use garlic, chili and basil most often and Azafran offers all three. However the brand scores even more brownie points. The infusions use organic products which is probably why the aromas are so deep. Great branding too.With this wonderful olive oil on hand, it was time to put it to test. Quick check of the pantry and fridge and I knew just what I wanted to make. Polenta crackers and a nutty eggplant dip. Both are simple, quick one bowl sort of recipes. A good handy stand mixer and blender can work magic in any kitchen. That magic can only come alive with quality ingredients. Both the crackers and dip turned out flavoursome and delicious. Paired together they created magic!!To get the cracker dough together, I threw in some grated cheddar. I love cheese in crackers. I always add garlic to crackers and this time my work was cut out! A generous glug of the garlic infusion from Azafaran and I was sorted. Gentle flavours of earthy garlic escaped from the oven the minute the crackers were done. So yum!!And what is dip without garlic. Yes indeed, another convenient glug into the blender brought out beautiful flavours. Make both the crackers and dip in advance. I have a mini pie pan so made some canapes as well. I love how pretty they look, and that they add an interesting dimension to a snack platter. I always try and make some while rolling out crackers. The dip gets thick once chilled, thick enough to pipe into canapes. Top the dip with slivers of fresh garlic, pomegranate pearls, fresh basil and a drizzle of the infused oil. Then sit back and enjoy!Other ways to enjoy oil infusions are in salad dressings, stir fries, marinades, over pizza, in bread, drizzled over bruschetta, as a dipping oil to serve with bread.  Extra virgin olive oils in prettily packaged glass bottles are a charm. Always works for me. These make great gifts as well, don’t you think? I’m hoping the future sees more beautiful flavours added. On my wishlist might be rosemary, Italian herbs, orange, lime, sage …
…until then, I’m really loving using these three!

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Polenta Cheese Crackers & Eggplant Melon Seed Dip

Polenta Cheese Crackers {and canapes} and a cracker of a dip. The oh-so-delicious smooth Eggplant Melon Seed Dip comes together in seconds. Both the crackers and the dip are beautifully flavoured by an earthy, deep, aromatic organic garlic infused extra virgin olive oil from @Azafraninfusions.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Polenta Crackers & Canapes

• 1/2 cup polenta
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp smoked sea salt
• 1/4 cup Azafran infusions (garlic)
• 50 g grated cheddar
• 1/4 cup water {as required}

Eggplant Melon Seed Dip

• 1 eggplant, roasted, cooled
• 1/4 cup Azafran infusions (garlic)
• 1/2 cup musk melon seeds
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 lime Juice of
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Smoked sea salt to taste
• Fresh basil, pomegranate pearls, garlic slivers and roasted chilli flakes to garnish
• Azafran organic garAzafran infusions (garlic) to drizzle over

Instructions

Polenta Crackers & Canapes

• Place all ingredients except water in bowl of stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
• Add in enough water to make firm pliable dough. Leave to rest covered for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 190C.
• Roll out as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface and cut out with fluted cookie cutter {or in any shape you wish}.
• Reduce oven temperature to 180C. Transfer cutout crackers to a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges begin to get slightly golden.
• Cool completely on cookie racks.
• Note: You can make canapes the same way but in a mini pie pan if you like.

Eggplant Melon Seed Dip

• Place all ingredients in bowl of blender and process until smooth.
• Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a bowl, cover firmly and chill until ready to serve.
• Garnish with fresh basil, pomegranate pearls, garlic slivers and roasted chili flakes. Drizzle over Azafran Infusions (garlic)
• Serve with crackers, or pipe into canapes.
• Note: makes 1 1/2 dozen crackers + 1 dozen canapes