The other day I received two bags full of eggplants from a friend. I decided to oven roast all the eggplants so I could then use them in recipes later in the week. I used to not like eggplant. Once I started oven roasting it, I fell in love with eggplant. Roasting eggplant gives it a wonderful new taste that is not bitter. Another tip to great tasting eggplant is selecting a small one. The bigger eggplants tend to be bitter, so when selecting your eggplant choose a small one As I was chopping all the eggplant, my creative juices were flowing as I was deciding how to use it all. Most people use eggplant in a parmesan, but I don't like all that sauce and cheese covering up the taste of my eggplant. I knew there was a dip that used eggplant so I went to my computer to look up eggplant recipes. It was then I discovered Baba Ghanoush. This recipe sounded delicious and I just had to make it, not knowing what it would taste like. As I was making the recipe, I quickly realized that Baba Ghanoush was very similar to a hummus. The eggplant replaced the chickpeas when compared to a hummus. Once my dip was done I took a bite and it was so delicious. It tasted like a spicy, smoky hummus and I was in heaven. I was asking myself, what took me so long to try Baba Ghanoush.
Now traditional Baba Ghanoush uses the inside of an eggplant that has been cooked.My recipe uses a whole eggplant that has been peeled and cubed and oven roasted. I think the roasting of the eggplant may have been the reason this Baba Ghanoush tasted so delicious. I have never had traditional Baba Ghanoush so I have nothing to compare it to. I also added Lightly Dried Chili Peppers to my recipe for a punch of heat. You can omit the chili peppers if you want a mild flavor.
These Lightly Dried Chili Peppers give food a wonderful flavor and a punch of heat. Gourmet Garden takes chopped habanero chilies and lightly dries them to last for 4 weeks once the container is opened.How many times have you purchased fresh herbs and they went bad before you had a chance to use them? These lightly dried herbs not only stay fresh for 4 weeks, but refresh in cooking, giving you the closest flavor, appearance, and aroma to that of fresh herbs. I thought the Chili Peppers were going to be too hot, but they instead had a nice medium heat to them with awesome flavor. The two teaspoons that I added to my Baba Ghanoush replaces four teaspoons of fresh chili pepper. I love that these chili peppers are organically grown and harvested when the spicy capsaicin is at its peak, guaranteeing a bold flavor. The bowls that they are placed in are pretty cool too as they click and stack with the other lightly dried herbs that they sell.
Baba Ghanoush With Oven Roasted Eggplant
1 eggplant peeled (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Lightly Dried Chili Peppers
Lightly Dried Parsley for garnish
Cut the eggplant into small cubes and place in a bowl with the olive oil. Stir the eggplant cubes with the oil until well coated. Place the eggplant on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Bake at 400 F for about 30 minutes or until soft and lightly brown. Let the eggplant cool slightly and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Garnish with Lightly Dried Chili Peppers and Lightly Dried Parsley. Serve this delightful dip with crackers.
"These opinions are my own and I received samples of Lightly Dried Herbs from http://www.gourmetgarden.com/ to facilitate this post."
32 comments:
That sounds so good. I can't wait to try this.
I generally am alergic to eggplant sadly so I have never used it in any meal recently...I wonder if I am still alergic and if my children would be...time to try it again!
This looks quite yummy. Not familiar with everything on the ingredients list, is tahini a spice?
Tahini is a sesame seed paste.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm not sure about this one at all...never tasted egg plant and as of January 4th I still have no desire to..LOL
Looks so yummy!
I don't like aubergine but this is a great recipe.
That sounds interesting!! I might be getting some eggplant at the Farmer's Market this month, so now I can make something with it! Thanks.
Everybody i know loves eggplants but i have to say I have never tried it…This recipe does look good though
Oh wow, I love this post and would like to see more fabulous recipes from foods i've never tried before. great recipe.
Sounds delicious!! I am hungry right now and I could go for a bite.
Sounds goods and delicious!
This looks really yummy! I'd love to have this as a snack or even for lunch. I think my girls would love it too!
i just tried eggplant for the first time lsat week and i thought it was so yummy. i would love to try ban ghanoush with roasted eggplant
Yummy, I know this is healthy so I'm gonna make this one with your instructions.
No matter how you cook an eggplant I will surely love it! It is one of my fave! Thanks for sharing this recipe
I really want to try this! It looks so delicious :)
Wow it looks tasty. It seems the ingredients are so simple. I would love to try this out this weekend. Thank you so much for this new recipe.
I totally need those! I have that very problem of them going bad too often when I cook. This is awesome.
OMG, so now this is yummy. I'm sure my husband would love this.
I rarely eat eggplants but this sounds good. I need to try this recipe!
That looks yummy. I love eggplants and roasting is my favorite way to enjoy them.
oh, my goodness! That looks really really good. I would love to try this.
Yum! I love pretty much any dip so this is right up my alley! And it's a great alternative to hummus!
This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to try this recipe on the weekend. My family will love it.
Omg this looks so yummy!!! Definitely going to give your recipe a try! Yum!
would love to really try this often these dishes are the ones that I love the best
I have bookmarked this recipe to try later. It sounds delicious.
I will have to give your recipe a try. We love eggplant in our home. It is so healthy and delicious.
I love baba ghanoush... Thanks for sharing recipe.. I will try it
I've nevver tried baba Ghanoush before but it sounds tasty!
the recipe looks to die off!! ill definitely make note of the recipe so i can try it one day! looks gorgeous with the chilly flakes on top
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