Baba Ghanoush

I've always been wanting to try Baba Ghanoush.  I love hummus and I love eggplant so that led me to believe I would very much enjoy Baba Ghanoush!  But, others around me are not so in love with eggplant, so I worried.  But last week a friend posted the following recipe on facebook and having some time to myself, I didn't much care what others would want to eat - so Baba Ghanoush it was!

Baba Ghanoush, which is as fun to say as it is to type, is a traditional eggplant dip.  You can serve it with raw vegetables, pita chips, or whatever you desire.

Please note, the following picture and recipe comes from the All Recipes website, http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baba-ghanoush-2/detail.aspx.  A great site to check out.  My picture is not nearly so pretty!

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients

1 eggplant
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.

Christine's Note:  I did not bake my eggplant.  I brushed it with a little olive oil and grilled it to keep the house cool.  In addition, I did not take off the skin as that would be a horrible waste of tasty fiber!  It was very good grilled. (That is what made it into the food processor was very good, since I was eating every other piece.  Note to self - next time grill 2 eggplants!)  And, the skin pureed nicely and added some pieces of deep color.

• Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in a food processor, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

The summer season, when we can find so much variety at our farmers markets and grocery stores, is the perfect time to try something new.  If you aren't experienced with eggplant, I encourage you to try it!  It turns out my hubby also enjoyed this dip!