Baba Ghanouj

So, you've tried my hummus, but for Jared's birthday, we also took a stab at Baba Ghanouj.  This is essentially hummus but made with roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas.  Both are definitely different flavors, but delish and make great side dishes for any party, or we love 'em as a main dish with veggies and pita pockets - pair with Melinda's recipe! http://deepfriedgranola.blogspot.com/2012/07/pita-pockets.html  :)

Enjoy!

• 1 large eggplant 
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (start with less if your garlic's extra potent, you can always add more)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed 
• 1 pinch ground cumin salt, to taste 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
• 1/4 cup brine-cured black olives, such as kalamata (I didn't have olives, so I skipped this one)

Preheat an oven to 375°F. 3 Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin. Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl, or blender. Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste, or skip to next step. 

Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well. Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.  Mix/Blend.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley. Place the olives around the sides.  Serve at room temperature.

Source: Food.com