Baba Ghanoush

By JenHall

So good - wasn't sure about this since I'm not a huge fan of eggplant but this basically tastes like hummus. I've missed hummus since we stopped eating beans so now I have a substitute :) It was also really easy to make.

Ingredients

• Optional garnishes:
• 2 pounds globe eggplant, about 2
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• extra-virgin olive oil
• a handful of fresh parsley leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat a gas grill or broiler on high heat with the lid closed, about 10 minutes. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and use a sharp knife to cut a few diagonal score lines in the flesh. Place face down on the grill, close the lid, and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the eggplant face up, close the lid, and grill for an additional 10 minutes, until
the skin is blackened and the eggplant is very tender (almost squishy). Set aside to cool.

Oven method: Place the oven rack in middle position and preheat oven
to 500 F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Poke the
whole eggplant a few times with a fork and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft and beginning to
collapse. Allow to cool, then follow the instructions below:

While the eggplant cools, place the tahini, salt, lemon juice, garlic, chili powder, and cumin in the bowl of a food processor. Scoop the roasted eggplant pulp out of the skin and place in a colander to drain
extra moisture for 3-5 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of eggplant. Place it in the food processor and puree to your desired consistency.

To serve the traditional way, spread the baba ghanoush on a plate or in a shallow bowl and drizzle with olive oil, parsley, and sesame seeds. Use raw veggies and olives to scoop it into your mouth with abandon. Baba ghanoush tastes best at room temperature, but should be stored in the fridge. Its delicate flavor will hold up for 2-3 days.

I served this with raw carrots, celery, red pepper, cucumber & broccoli - all were super good...