The Mindful Epicurean

I am so fortunate to have the BEST co-workers! Truly. I am incredibly grateful.

Crystal, in particular, was kind enough to bring me a beautiful eggplant from her garden. It is the most lovely dark purple.

I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with it and then it hit me. Baba Ganoush!

Baba Ganoush is a Middle Eastern dip made from eggplant, tahini (ground sesame seeds), garlic and lemon juice. It is a delicious dip that is creamy and a bit rustic in consistency.

I start by peeling my eggplant.

I then dice it into bite sized pieces.

Then add to a colander in the sink and salt generously. I toss the eggplant to make certain all of it gets a taste of the salt.

Then I cover with a towel and let it sweat for about an hour.

Then I rinse thoroughly and drain again.

I add to a cookie sheet with parchment paper and toss with olive oil.

I roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.

I remove and let cool.

Now I drain again in the colander to make sure all the excess juices are removed, mashing with a fork.

I transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash eggplant together with the following ingredients:

1 garlic clove

1/2 lemon juiced

2.5 TB of tahini

Salt, Pepper, Paprika and Red Pepper Flake to taste

I mash until it reaches my desired consistency, which is smooth but a little chunky for texture.

Baba Ganoush is a super healthy dish. The eggplant is an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants and the tahini and olive oil contain healthy fats.

I chill covered until ready to serve. I then garnish with freshly diced parsley.

In this case, I am serving my Baba Ganoush with grilled, marinated chicken tenders, warm pita and a tomato and feta salad with crunchy chick peas.

Thank you, Crystal, for the beautiful inspiration! There is nothing quite like produce straight from the garden. It just tastes more delicious!