Baba ganoush a Middle Eastern spread and dip is similar to hummus, but is made with eggplant instead of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Some call it a delicious Mediterranean diet appetizer. The slightly smokey flavor from the roasted eggplants makes it irresistible.

Tahini, or sesame seed paste, can be found in health food stores, gourmet shops and even many grocery stores. I did not find tahini and instead used 1/4 cup of sesame seeds for the recipe and it turned out just as great.

Makes: a little over 1 cup
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Preparations: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (About a pound)
• 1 clove of minsed garlic
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method
Preheat oven to 220 C.

Prick eggplant with a fork and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake the eggplant until it is soft inside, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, grill the eggplant over a gas grill, rotating it around until the skin is completely charred, about 10 minutes.

Let the eggplant cool. Remove the burnt skin, cut the eggplant into half and and scoop the pulp and its liquid into a food processor. Process the eggplant until smooth and transfer to a medium bowl.

On a cutting board, work garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt together with the flat side of a knife, until it forms a paste.

Add the garlic-salt mixture to the eggplant.

Stir in the parsley, tahini, and lemon juice. Season with more salt, to taste. Garnish with additional parsley.