RECIPE
Lev and Grace Anderson of Irvine, CA have submitted a recipe for a sort of Baba Ganoush dip they found on the Parade magazine website, and tweaked a bit - for better or for worse.
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"HEALTHY EGGPLANT DIP"
2 firm eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds each
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp finely chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with foil, prick eggplants with a knife in several places, and roast 45 to 60 minutes, until soft and shriveled.
Cool and halve eggplants; scrape the flesh into a food processor with the olive oil. Puree. Add remaining ingredients and pulse just to combine.
Spoon into a bowl, cover, and chill several hours or overnight before serving. This dip is great with toasted pita or pita chips [or a sliced baguette, as Mr. Anderson prepared it].
Serves 8
REVIEW
by Lev Anderson
This recipe is relatively easy, can be made from just a few ingredients, and have that fresh, healthy taste a lot of dips lack. No mayo or sour cream, just a little olive oil. I added one extra clove of garlic (but I think that was too much). Also, I zested the whole lemon but I am curious how it would've turned out had I just done half the lemon. I think it could be toned down slightly - seemed a little too zingy for me.
You could do a lot with minor variations. For example, the recipe didn't specify what kind of onion to use. I used yellow but I think it would be just as good or better with a red onion. You could try cilantro instead of basil (though basil is better if you are looking for a more mediterranean style). Next time I might try adding a little chopped red pepper that could be roasted with the eggplant, for a little sweetness.