Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants
¼ cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter)
½-1 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Paprika for garnish
Parsley for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Leaving the eggplant whole and unpeeled, bake it on a baking sheet until soft, about 30 minutes. (For a smoother baba ghanoush, remove the peel from the eggplant before blending.) Allow to cool to room temperature. Cut eggplant(s) open, remove as many seeds as you can, and cut the remaining flesh into cubes. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Garnish with parsley and paprika, and serve with rice crackers, sesame crackers or fresh vegetables. This dish also goes well as a side dish to chicken, pork or beef. Serves 6.