Red Pepper Spread (Trader Joe's Knock-off)

I used to love Trader Joe's Red Pepper Spread, but I had to stop eating it once I went Paleo because it is made with sugar. After walking through Trader Joe's one Saturday and once again walking past the jars of Red Pepper Spread, I finally decided it was time to make my own version. To my surprise, it tasted JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL!

This is an incredibly versatile spread - perfect for smearing on Paleo crackers, using as a marinade for chicken, mixing into sauces, dressing burgers - so many uses!

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded
• 3 garlic cloves, still in their skins
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp raw honey
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Dice the eggplant and red peppers into 1 inch pieces.
3. Spread eggplant and peppers onto a nonstick sided baking sheet or roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place the garlic cloves in the pan and place the pan in the oven. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the the vegetables are browned and soft. You may have to toss them once or twice when they are roasting to promote even heat distribution.
4. Place the roasted eggplant and peppers in a food processor. Push the garlic out of the skin and add to the food processor (discard the skins). Add the honey and process until smooth.
5. Mix in salt and pepper to taste. You can eat this warm, or serve chilled.