Baba Ganoush
Dear Friend, Some people are extremely excited about hot yoga. I was a bit curious as to what the hype was all about. I tried my first class on Monday, and this is what I have to say. If the outside temperature were as hot as my yoga studio, I would most likely cry. Then I would use every last penny I owned and buy myself an air conditioned space suit. I would sit around all day in my space suit, eating Popsicles, ice cream, and drinking coke in tiny glass bottles. I wouldn't be very active - definitely no exercise.
I tried hot yoga and I made baba ganoush - the latter being remarkably easier. I've made many baba ganoush's in my time, but never been quite satisfied with any of the results. That's why I'm so excited to share this with you - it's finally a recipe that I am truly happy with. This time around, I used roasted garlic instead of fresh, which gave it a creamier texture It also minimized the pungent flavors you'd expect from fresh garlic.
I used some gorgeous white eggplant, which are much smaller in appearance than their purple counterparts. I find that they taste much creamier, are less bitter, have fewer seeds, and are more tender. They are very mild and sweet, so perfect for people who don't particularly like the taste of the traditional purple eggplant. I took my white eggplant and charred them under the broiler until blackened, which gave them a fantastic smoky favor. The combination of roasted garlic, smoky eggplant, creamy tahini, bitter lemon, and salt to pull it all together, is magical. Baba ganoush, with its fantastic name, is such a wonderfully flavorful dish. I like to eat it with La Panzanella's crispy Croccantini, a few olives, and a glass of white wine. Perfectly divine.
[Print Recipe]
BABA GANOUSH RECIPE
Ingredients
4 small eggplants
2 garlic bulbs, roasted with olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Turn the oven to broil. Wash and place the eggplant on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Broil the eggplant until blackened, approximately 10 minutes, turning once.
2. Cut off the tops of the garlic, place on a sheet of tin foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Place the garlic on the same baking sheet as the eggplant. Turn the oven to 375 F and bake both garlic and eggplant for 30 minutes. The eggplant should be soft when finished.
3. Remove the garlic and eggplant from the oven and let cool. Once cool, squeeze the garlic into a food processor, followed by the tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp olive oil.
4. Remove the eggplant from its skin, and place in the food processor. Pulse a couple of times until you have a creamy mixture. Place in a container and store in fridge for up to 5 days. Serve with pita chips, cracker, or baguette.
BABA GANOUSH RECIPE
Ingredients
4 small eggplants
2 garlic bulbs, roasted with olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Turn the oven to broil. Wash and place the eggplant on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Broil the eggplant until blackened, approximately 10 minutes, turning once.
2. Cut off the tops of the garlic, place on a sheet of tin foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Place the garlic on the same baking sheet as the eggplant. Turn the oven to 375 F and bake both garlic and eggplant for 30 minutes. The eggplant should be soft when finished.
3. Remove the garlic and eggplant from the oven and let cool. Once cool, squeeze the garlic into a food processor, followed by the tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp olive oil.
4. Remove the eggplant from its skin, and place in the food processor. Pulse a couple of times until you have a creamy mixture. Place in a container and store in fridge for up to 5 days. Serve with pita chips, cracker, or baguette.