Eggplant Dip that makes you flip!

EGGPLANT...

Yes, I write about a bunch of things I like to eat.  In truth, I have to have a taste for it before I'm motivated to make it.  Today, it's all about the eggplant.  I love eggplant and I eat it in various ways, but in the summer nothing is better than light foods.  Eggplant dip to the rescue!  You may know it as Baba Ghanouj.  It's a Mediterranean dish and I love Mediterranean foods.  So, decided to make some today for lunch.

When I was little, I could not imagine why they called this eggplant.  I remember looking for the egg in this plant. I knew that folks breaded it, dipped it in egg, and fried it up, but why they called it an eggplant, I did not know.  However, I came to find out that we can thank the 18th century Europeans for that name because they thought that a whitish variety of the eggplant resembled goose eggs.  Another little known fact is that there is some confusion of whether eggplant is a fruit or a vegetable.  Though we often think of eggplant as a vegetable and generally consume it with other vegetables, botanist label it as a fruit.

Nutritionally, eggplant has a host of vitamins (B-Complex vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin K), minerals (copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium), and antioxidant phytonutrients, which include phenolic compounds (caffeic and chlorogenic acid) and flavonoids (nasunin). Nasunin if found on the skin and protects the body from free radicals.  It has also been called brain food because it helps the cell membranes in the brain.  Eggplant is also beneficial in cardiovascular health and is a good source of fiber.  Google the amazing nutritional properties of eggplant for yourself!


The original recipe I used came from Mama's Lebanese Kitchen ... I usually stick to the recipe (http://www.mamaslebanesekitchen.com/dips/baba-ghanouj-recipe/).  The only thing I tweaked was the white vinegar.  I used about 1/4 cup of lemon juice instead.  I also used large eggplants and so I do not use as many.  Two large eggplants would suffice for this recipe in my humble opinion.  I do not remove as much of the seeds (only the very noticeable large clumps of seeds, which I generally eat), but feel free to remove them to your heart's content.  Though I think it highly unnecessary to remove all of the seeds, removing some will make it less seedy.  The more seeds you remove, the more eggplant you may need.

Also I cut the eggplant lengthwise and put olive oil on it and sea salt and roast in a 375 degree oven for an hour.  I let them stand for about 30 to 40 minutes before taking a spoon and scraping it out into the food processor.  Well, I guess I did tweak the original recipe more than I thought, but when I'm cooking, it has to be my way of doing things.  You can make it your way too.  However, I must say that I have messed up a few dishes by tweaking things too much on my first try.  Because of this, I suggest sticking to the recipe the first time and then changing things up after you know the process.

One eggplant sliced down the middle sprinkled with olive oil and salt
to roast for about an hour.

Garnish the Baba Ghanouj with whatever you like, I used chili powder, olive oil, and pickles.  I usually eat these with dry toasted bread (similar to zwieback) or toasted pita chips, but veggies are good too.  Enjoy!

Baba Ghanouj with dry toasted bread.

If you like Baba Ghanouj as much as I do, I'd love to hear from you!  Again, enjoy!!!