Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is a traditional Middle Eastern appetizer.  It is a dip similar to hummus, but it is made with roasted eggplant (aubergine), instead of chickpeas or garbanzo beans. It is also lighter and creamier. It is usually served with pita bread, but I use it to dip my veggies in. It tastes great with carrot sticks, celery stalks, cucumber slices, or raw cauliflower florets. I also use it as a salad dressing, diluted with some more oil and vinegar, or as a sandwich spread, in wraps or over grilled veggies.

To make this, I first bake the entire eggplant on high heat, until it’s very soft and the skin is charred. I don’t worry about cutting it, peeling it, or trimming the ends of it before I place it in the oven, because I am only going to use the inside part of it. The charring of the skin gives it a little smoky flavor and leaving the eggplant uncut prevents it from drying out. Then I puree it with a food processor, if you don’t have a food processor you can use a mortar and pestle to mash it, but the baba ganoush will be a little “seedy”.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (about 2 lbs)

1/3 cup of lemon juice

1/3 cup of tahini

1/4 tbsp of ground cumin

3 garlic cloves

Salt to taste

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

Chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh mint and Kalamata olives for garnishing (optional)

Preparation:

• Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bake the whole eggplant until very soft (it takes about 45 minutes), don’t worry about burning the skin.
• Wait for it to cool down and remove the peel.
• Using a food processor or an immersion blender blend the eggplant flesh, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin and salt until a puree is formed.
• Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley and olives and serve as a dip.