Baba ghanoush, in Arabic, means spoiled father. For me, translates to a low-cal, low-carb, nutrient-dense dip just as flavorful as hummus. And as much as I enjoy hummus, and as protein-rich as it is, it does contain twice the amount of calories and carbohydrates as baba ghanoush, which means that with baba ghanoush, there is more dip for dunking vegetables and spreading on flatbread. Sometimes more really is better.

Recipe notes: Easily made ahead. What you will need: baking sheet and blender. Yields: 4-cups. Difficulty level: Very easy.

 

Ingredients:

• 4-medium eggplants cut in half
• 1/4-cup olive oil for roasting
• 2-Tbsp minced garlic
• sea salt & ground pepper
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• 1/4-cup lemon juice
• 1/2-cup tahini paste
• 2-tsp ground cumin
• pinch of cayenne
• sea salt & pepper
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• 1/2-tsp paprika
• 2-Tbsp olive oil
• 1-tsp chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

1. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking oil.
2. Lay halved eggplant on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Spread minced garlic evenly on each half, season with salt and pepper, and oven roast for 1-hr @350 degrees, or until eggplant is very soft.
4. Transfer eggplant to a large bowl and cover with foil until cool to touch.a
5. Scoop out eggplant and scrape skins to remove the fleshy part, and discard skins.
6. In a blender, add eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, and cumin.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste
8. Transfer baba ghanoush to serving bowl, using the back of a spoon to create a well and pour olive oil.
9. Garnish with paprika and chopped parsley
10. Serve with a platter of vegetables and flatbread