Roasted Pepper Sweet Potato Feta Dip

Before you read this. Yes, before.

Well, okay–maybe after you read. And maybe after you try making this really, really creamy light dip. But right after.

I want you all to get your flu shot.

Grab your loved ones and get them their flu shots, too.

If you’ve all been wondering where the hoozers I’ve been for the past 13 days, I’m just going to close my eyes and repeat…

Get. Your. Flu. Shot. PEOPLE. Seriously.

And please, don’t lick the spoon if you’ve got the flu (like I did) and are in the kitchen cooking for more than one (which I wasn’t, thankfully–I could barely take care of myself as it was). Maybe nobody else can see you, but the karma gods can. And they’ve got their eyes fixed on you like a daddy’s got his eyes on his daughter’s prom date.

<<Death glare.>>

Whizzing past all the far-too-graphic details with which I could regale you about my one-week sojourn in bed, however, I’d like to move on to the very important matter of…this dip. But this begs a slight digression first.

The worst part about the flu, aside from the massive fever and world-tilting-off-its-axis feeling every time you stand up, is the tummy aspect. This is my kind, euphemistic way of telling you that my toilet bowl and I became bestest buddies this week.

Yeah. Unfun, i.e. (according to our reliable friend Urban Dictionary), “the evil opposite of fun.”

Do you ever get that terrible feeling when you’re sick of being extremely hungry, but wanting absolutely nothing to do with food?

That defined the entirety of the first 72 hours of my flu.

For the next leg of 72 hours (the second trimester, if you will–because yes, 9 days of the flu feels as arduous and taxing as an entire pregnancy, right), I ate little nibbles here and there between racking hacking fits. Still wasn’t hungry, but I could at least stomach some sustenance.

And then came the final trimester. Talk about pregnant lady status.

I went through more food than I usually eat in a week. Every. Single. Day.

No joke. Think I’m joking? Well…well, no. I’m not.Ask the dishes. Maybe they’ll talk to you like they did to me while I had a fever.

So I ate myself out of house, home, and body. The funny part was not feeling at all bloated or heavy afterwards; guess my body really wanted to make up for the fact that it didn’t get any food for basically 6 days.

So here comes the good part: In my book, when you’re eating at the daily rate of a grown hippopotamus, and when you’re able to stand for 10 minutes without toppling over like a Jenga set played by drunkards, welllll–

It’s grocery shopping time!

Peppers, yams, feta–you saw it, I snatched it up first and bought that bad baby.

Then I came home and made this dip and felt really proud of myself.

And then I tried the dip and–lordie lordie. Talk about a fireworks show of spice, sweet, and just the perfect amount of tang.

Hallelujah for stomachs!

Hallelujah for appetites!

Hallelujah for sweet, tangy dips with a kick!

And freakin’ hallelujah for the medical advances that will keep you from going through the same Homeric epic of misery that I went through!

(That’s your cue, people–make this recipe, then skedaddle out there and get your flu shots!)

 

Have you been staying healthy this flu season?

What are your favorite flu remedies and recipes?

 

Roasted Pepper Sweet Potato Feta Dip

Ingredients:

• 1/2 green or red bell pepper
• 1 small yam, baked until soft and peeled
• 1.5 oz. feta cheese (I used herbed feta cheese)
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
• Dash of salt (adjust to taste)
• Sweet chili sauce (optional–I used Trader Joe’s brand)

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler in your oven. Deseed pepper and place it, skin-side up, under heated broiler and cook until skin is blistered and blackened. (It took mine about 5 minutes to blacken completely, with two rotations in between.) Remove pepper carefully from broiler with tongs and wait for it to cool briefly. Quickly pull off and discard the thin blistered skin.
2. Place all ingredients into food processor and process for 30-60 seconds at 15-second intervals. Add extra red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Drizzle with sweet chili sauce for an added tangy kick!
3. Serve dip with raw vegetables, bread, or pita chips. Enjoy and stay super healthy, folks!