Try this Epic Mediterranean Dip: Baba Ganoush
This year I have gotten to know the sweetest family in my daughter’s preschool class. They invited us over one afternoon and her mother made me the most delicious food. My friend is Lebanese and the food she made was absolutely divine. It was just a simple lunch on a Tuesday afternoon but she laid out the food in such a beautiful spread on her table and was explaining to me how important it is in her culture for food to be presented so beautifully for guests of honor.
She made all of these things from scratch and you can totally tell just from tasting how fresh everything tasted. She made hummus, baba ganoush, and a fava bean dip (foul mudammas) with pita and lavash bread and sliced tomatoes, green onions and pickles on the side.
She loves to make a big batch of these three items each week: hummus, baba ganoush and the foul mudammas and her family eats some each day. She gets most of her ingredients from a local Persian grocery store so she can get high quality, authentic ingredients, but of course if you make any of this at home, you can find most of these ingredients in any local grocery store--items like canned garbanzo beans, eggplant, garlic lemon and fava beans, dry or canned.
These foods are so full of all sorts of minerals, nutrients and fiber and would be a great part of a healthy diet. I think mostly everyone knows what hummus is--a thick dipping sauce made from blending canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), garlic, tahini, salt, lemon, olive oil and spices. It is most often used as a dip with pita bread or fresh sliced vegetables but can also be used as a spread for sandwiches as well.
So you might be wondering what baba ganoush is? It is a dip really similar to hummus with similar basic ingredients, but instead of chickpeas, you blend in roasted eggplant. It is a smooth and smoky dip or spread, just like hummus. Another cool thing about baba ganoush is that it is always vegan, gluten free and nut free. This makes it a great party appetizer for guests with special dietary restrictions like these common ones. You can serve your baba ganoush with things like carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell pepper sticks. You can also use pita or lava bread wedges or even pita chips.
This friend told me that Trader Joe’s has some really good breads and hummus so I picked some up and have been having deliciously hummus, flatbread, tomatoes and pickles almost every day for lunch and I am loving it! I would highly recommend this Mediterranean dip from Trader Joe’s--it is a really great one.
I feel like it is really easy to find yummy pre-made hummus anywhere, but harder to find pre-made baba ganoush. Here is a delicious recipe for a delicious baba ganoush that you can make at home to try as a healthy dip or spread. I love this recipe because they have a perfect spice blend to give it tons of flavor by adding just the right amount of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley. Do you love Mediterranean food like hummus, baba ganoush and foul mudammas? Do you typically make it from scratch or get it from a grocery store or restaurant? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
2 pounds italian eggplants (about 2 small-to-medium eggplants*)
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice, more if necessary
1/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
serving suggestions: warmed or toasted pita wedges, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, etc.
Directions:
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She made all of these things from scratch and you can totally tell just from tasting how fresh everything tasted. She made hummus, baba ganoush, and a fava bean dip (foul mudammas) with pita and lavash bread and sliced tomatoes, green onions and pickles on the side.
She loves to make a big batch of these three items each week: hummus, baba ganoush and the foul mudammas and her family eats some each day. She gets most of her ingredients from a local Persian grocery store so she can get high quality, authentic ingredients, but of course if you make any of this at home, you can find most of these ingredients in any local grocery store--items like canned garbanzo beans, eggplant, garlic lemon and fava beans, dry or canned.
These foods are so full of all sorts of minerals, nutrients and fiber and would be a great part of a healthy diet. I think mostly everyone knows what hummus is--a thick dipping sauce made from blending canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), garlic, tahini, salt, lemon, olive oil and spices. It is most often used as a dip with pita bread or fresh sliced vegetables but can also be used as a spread for sandwiches as well.
So you might be wondering what baba ganoush is? It is a dip really similar to hummus with similar basic ingredients, but instead of chickpeas, you blend in roasted eggplant. It is a smooth and smoky dip or spread, just like hummus. Another cool thing about baba ganoush is that it is always vegan, gluten free and nut free. This makes it a great party appetizer for guests with special dietary restrictions like these common ones. You can serve your baba ganoush with things like carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell pepper sticks. You can also use pita or lava bread wedges or even pita chips.
This friend told me that Trader Joe’s has some really good breads and hummus so I picked some up and have been having deliciously hummus, flatbread, tomatoes and pickles almost every day for lunch and I am loving it! I would highly recommend this Mediterranean dip from Trader Joe’s--it is a really great one.
I feel like it is really easy to find yummy pre-made hummus anywhere, but harder to find pre-made baba ganoush. Here is a delicious recipe for a delicious baba ganoush that you can make at home to try as a healthy dip or spread. I love this recipe because they have a perfect spice blend to give it tons of flavor by adding just the right amount of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley. Do you love Mediterranean food like hummus, baba ganoush and foul mudammas? Do you typically make it from scratch or get it from a grocery store or restaurant? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Epic Baba Ganoush Recipe - Cookie and Kate
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! It's easy to make, too (no food processor required). You'll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Total Time: 55 minutes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 6
Calories per serving: 24
Ingredients:
Cook time:
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 6
Calories per serving: 24
2 pounds italian eggplants (about 2 small-to-medium eggplants*)
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice, more if necessary
1/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
serving suggestions: warmed or toasted pita wedges, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, etc.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in the prepared pan with the halved sides down.
Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant). Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind.
Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.
Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it’s incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant.
Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you’d like a more tart flavor.
Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with accompaniments of your choice. It’s also great on sandwiches!
Source: cookieandkate.com
Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant). Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind.
Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.
Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it’s incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant.
Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you’d like a more tart flavor.
Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with accompaniments of your choice. It’s also great on sandwiches!
Source: cookieandkate.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.flickr.com
- www.commons.wikimedia.org
- www.cookieandkatie.com
Mary Richardson
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! mary@dvo.com
