Baba Ganoush

I love baba ganoush and the eggplants were on sale for only $.88 each! Needless to say, I will be featuring a few eggplant dishes this week but none tastier than the beloved baba ganoush. Making this stuff is a bit of a process but well worth it.

Baba Ganoush

one eggplant

1/8 cup raw almonds

2 Tbl tahini

1 clove garlic

juice from 1/2 of a lemon

2 Tbl olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the whole eggplant on a cookie sheet and roast under the broiler for about 15 minutes or until the skin starts to darken and bubble. Remove the eggplant and cool slightly. Peel the skin, (it should slip off easily) and roughly chop. Strain the eggplant in a colander for about 30 minutes to get rid of excess water.

While the eggplant is draining, process the almonds in a blender or food processor.

After sitting, squeeze the eggplant to get rid of any water that remains and it to the food processor with the almonds. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Process for about 30 seconds or until a smooth paste forms.

Serve the baba ganoush with pita bread or grilled veggies.

The eggplant does not look too appetizing as it drains.

I served it with lightly cooked zucchini and whole wheat pita bread. Yummmmmmm.

To make zucchini for dipping, slice the ends from 2 zucchini, cut them in half, and then slice lengthwise into 1/8” strips. Cook the slices in a non-stick pan over medium heat with a little olive oil. 2 minutes per side is enough to cook them slightly but keep a little of the crunch and make them perfect for dipping.

I also “doctored” up some store bought whole wheat pita bread. Slice the bread down the middle and cute each round in half. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Cook under the broiler for a few minutes until brown and crisp.

This baba ganoush was delicious, we ate all of it for lunch. I would recommend doubling the recipe to make sure you have enough and some for leftovers. You can also use store bought pita chips for sipping if you don’t have the time to toast the pitas and cook the zucchini, or raw veggies would taste great too.