I love when I find a new ingredient that I was previously unfamiliar with, or thought I didn’t like. Case in point – eggplant. I thought I didn’t like it, though I’m honestly not sure I had any basis for that feeling. Regardless, I now know that I do like eggplant, and I feel like a new world of recipes has been opened up to me. Eggplant parmesan was a great place to start, and now I have a list about a mile long of eggplant recipes to try. Aside from the fact that I flat out like eggplant, I think the pretty, deep purple peel has something to do with my newfound love – what a gorgeous vegetable!
A standout on my list of recipes, baba ganoush seemed like a must-try. I have heard of this roasted eggplant dip many times before, and decided to give it a shot. It seemed like a nice snack food to have ready when the in-laws came over to babysit for Andrew. By the way, I think a great way to keep babysitters coming back is to have a nice meal ready for them if they are babysitting during a mealtime. (I also served them cranberry pecan chicken salad on honey wheat rolls, and some fun individual black and white strawberry tarts for dessert.) This dip was enjoyed by all. The flavor of the roasted eggplant was fantastic, and combined with the garlic and a hint of tahini, it made for a wonderfully delicious and healthy snack. Being so easy to throw together, I’m sure we’ll be enjoying this frequently.