Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush:                                               

The Story:

I can't say that there is much of a background for this dish. My wife and I just love it and its not so easy to find around us. Back in our earlier days we would get falafel out once a week or so (pita inn for those interested in cheap delicious food in the NW Chicago suburbs) and if we were feeling like splurging we'd get the baba ganoush too. Some times one must recapture one's youth, or some such nonsense. Honestly its just delicious stuff, especially on freshly made pita. This is a pretty simple recipe, though roasting the eggplant can take a while.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (roasted)
2-3 cloves of fresh garlic
1/3 large onion diced
1 lemon or juice equivalent
4-5 TBS of tahini
3 TBS of olive oil
1-2 tsp of za'ahtar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of feta cheese (optional)
1/4 tsp cane sugar (optional)

This dish is incredibly simple to make. First take a fork and poke a great many holes in the eggplant. Then take the eggplant, skin and all, and put it in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 400 degrees. After the eggplant is done, it will be extremely soft and noticeably smaller. Cut the stem area off of the eggplant. Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend all the ingredients until it has a uniform texture. If you didn't let the eggplant cool, it would best to let it come down to room temp or a little cooler prior to serving. You can garnish the baba ganoush with some more feta and za'ahtar.

herbaceous eggplant pizza

Herbaceous Eggplant Pizza

There comes a time when food from the garden finally comes in and you feel the need to get creative with your harvest. This recipe stems from that. I needed to use eggplant and tomatoes before they went bad, so I naturally did what any red-blooded American living in the south would do. I made a fancy vegetarian pizza. This, like any recipe that involves fresh dough, can take a while. I tend to do these types of recipes when I plan ahead of time. That way I have some dough prepped ahead of time for a variety of applications.
( I don't have a picture for this one, but trust me, its good)

Ingredients:
Dough:
see basic pizza dough recipe.
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
2 tsp. of dried basil or Italian herbs mix

Toppings:
1 small to medium eggplant
1 -2 large tomatoes
1 large onion
2/3 cup of shredded cheese
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
2 TBS. of olive oil
1/2 tsp. of basil
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/8 cup of water
1/3 tsp. of white vinegar
3-4 TBS of za'ahtar
1/2 cup of finely chopped basil or 1 package or McCormick's bruschetta spice mix
1/2 tsp of cane sugar
1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

Following the previously stated dough instructions, prepare the dough. Place the dough in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes to rest. While its cooling start on the veggies. Grilling the eggplant brings out the best flavor but its messier and can be time consuming. A good alternative is to sauté it on the stovetop. Slice the eggplant, skin on, in thin slices. Dice the onion as well. Warm up the pan to medium high heat, and place the eggplant and onion in it. Allow the onion and eggplant soften up for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next add the olive oil, stirring so that the oil evenly coats the veggies. After another 5-8 minutes, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and check the veggies. Once the water is absorbed or evaporated add the garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Let it continue to cook for a few more minutes, then shut off the heat.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out as thin as possible without tearing it or making it unsuitable for transfer to the oven.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and pour 3/4 of the contents onto the pizza, spreading it out evenly. Add the veggies from the pan and diced tomatoes to the pizza. Sprinkle the cheese on top and then gently sprinkle the remaining sauce on top.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and if the pizza was rolled thin it should be done in 15-18 minutes with a crispy texture.

Eat and enjoy!!