Baba Ganoush–the healthy dip
It’s eggplant season! Time for baba ganoush. I picked my eggplants from the garden and got some B Grades–funny shape or blemished–really cheap.
B Grades don’t look pretty for the store–it’s produce that’s the wrong shape or slightly blemished. If you know how to pick out good produce, you an forgive an odd-shaped fruit or veggie. They’re just as tasty even if they won’t look perfect in food photography. They can save you a ton of cash. These eggplants were about half price in the B Grade box.
Make this amazing dip, then eat it all. You can serve baba ganoush with veggies—I use zucchini rounds—or nachos. It’s a great spread for a sandwich, too. This is the type of side dish you can bring with you to parties, or sit down and eat the whole bowl of while watching sports on Sunday. It’s tasty, feels unhealthy, and when combined with veggies instead of nachos is as healthy as it gets. I like to smoke the eggplants outside to make baba ganoush with a smoky feel, but when I want to make it quicker, I roast the eggplants in the oven for about forty minutes and cheat with a drop or two of liquid smoke.
Make a plate of baba ganoush and hummus and you’ve got something I’ve seen restaurants charge twenty bucks for.
Ingredients:
- 3 Roasted eggplants
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4–1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic or 1-2 tsp garlic powder (**Pro tip: take an unpeeled clove and shave with a potato peeler or grate with a small-grate grater)
- 2–3 T sesame tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Parsley, oregano, roasted pepper, or cilantro to garnish
Directions:
- Roast the eggplant until soft—if you smoke it it’ll be amazing, but you can use a drop or two of Liquid Smoke instead.
- Cool to room or fridge temp.
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Serve with chopped veggies, nachos, or anything, really.