Baba Ganoush

I absolutely love Baba Ganoush! I might just growl if you get my near my bowl...that's how much I love the stuff! It is tasty, as a spread in a falafal sandwish, but may favorite way to eat it is to scoop into it with Pita or Lavash and make a meal our of it. It is light and delicious and healthy and wonderful dairy free dip option. It is easy to make and is especially attractive in the hotter months. This stores well in the fridge and is served cold, it is easy to make ahead and is wonderful for picnic lunches on Shabbat. This is my favorite recipe for Baba Ganoush.

2 medium eggplants*

Bake (whole) at 400F for 1 hour. Let cool and scoop the flesh out of the skin, it will similar in consistancy to cooked squash but lighter. Put that in a food processor.

Add the following ingrediants to the food porcessor or blender with a dry blade and blend to a smooth texture:

1/2C tahini

juice from 2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic

1/4tsp dr basil (or 1tsp fresh)

1/2C red or green onion

sea salt to taste

Chop 1/4C fresh curly parsley (small) and stir in by hand. Or use 2T dried in the step above and blend.

Raw Variation: You may make this as a raw dish. Instead of baking, remove steam and peel of the egplant (potato peeler works great). Slice and sprinkle with salt and let sit for an hour (or a little more). Drain, rinse and proceed with the remaining instructions above. This is also nice in the summer when you dont want to heat up the kitchen!

Enjoy!

*You may also use Japanese Eggplant for this recipe. It just takes about 4-5 of bigger ones to equal the amount of "meat".