Baba Ghanoush

Baba Ghanoush is a middle eastern dip similar to hummus. Don't let the eggplant frighten you. It's pretty much just a vehicle for the lemon and garlic tastes. It goes well with pita chips or tortilla chips or crackers or sliced vegetable.

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c tahini
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste
olive oil

Okay, first off, the tahini. Most Americans don't just have this laying around. It's a middle eastern sauce made with sesame seeds and sesame oil, and is super easy to prepare at home. In a blender combine: 4tbsp sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 c tepid water and 1 tsp sesame oil. Blend till smooth. I used the recipe found here, but had to increase everything to get stuff above the blender blades.

Pierce the skin of the eggplant several times. You can use a fork if you want, but I find the tip of a knife works better. Roast it at 400 for 40 minutes or until soft. Peel off the skin, slice it into moderate sized chunks and pop the eggplant into the blender with the lemon juice, sesame seeds (more than the ones you used in the tahini)and garlic. Blend until smooth.

Chill.

When ready to serve, add olive oil on top and salt to taste.

Feeds at least 6 as an appetizer.

I found this recipe here.