Baba Ghannouj

About
This is by far my favorite dip. I love Eggplant and this dish just combines simple ingredients to create an amazing dip. I have a ceramic cook top, so I used my gas BBQ grill to grill the eggplant. The smoky flavor created by grilling the eggplant just compliments beautifully. The recipe makes approximately 2 cups of Baba Ghannouj and serves 4-6. 

Ingredients
Medium sized eggplant- 1 (about 400 g or 12 oz)
Lemon Juice-¼ cup
Tahini- ¼ cup
Garlic- 2 cloves
Sea Salt- to season
Olive Oil- 1½ tablespoon
Parsley- ¼ cup or about 4 sprigs

Method
Grill eggplant over charcoal or gas grill for 20-30 minutes, turning frequently. Peel off skin while hot (wear gloves for protection) and remove the stem and bottom of the eggplant if firm. 

Roughly chop the eggplant and in a blender, puree the eggplant. Add garlic and salt. Add more salt if required. Add lemon juice. Blend in 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley. 

Place in a shallow dish, pour in the remaining olive oil and garnish with parsley. 

Serve with warm pita bread. 

Happy Cooking! 

Garlic Hummus (Chick Pea and Sesame Puree)

About

Hummus is an all time favorite Middle Eastern and Arabic dip made with cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Of course, modernly there are many variants of this simple dish. You can make Jalepeno, Cilantro, Artichoke Hummus and the list goes on. This is a classic favorite and when made at home, tastes so much better than store bought hummus. Approximately 3 cups of hummus can be made from the ingredients listed below. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Ingredients

Boiled (or canned) Chick Peas- 1 cup

Water- ½ cup

Tahini (Sesame paste made out of toasted sesame seeds and olive oil)- ½ cup

Lemon Juice- ½ cup

Garlic- 3-4 depending on how garlicy you would like your hummus

Sea Salt- to season

Chopped Garlic- for serving and presentation

Good quality Olive Oil- 2 tablespoon

Method

In a blender, add chick peas and ½ cup water. Slowly blend tahini and lemon juice into the puree. Add Garlic and Sea Salt. Add Salt if required. Hummus should be thick and smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of the Olive Oil and blend together again. 

Spread in a shallow serving dish, swirling it with the back of a spoon. Pour Olive Oil in the center and garnish with chopped Garlic. You can also sprinkle some paprika. 

Serve with warm pita bread. Store for 3 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator. 

Happy Cooking!