Lebanesebabaghanoush Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.
• Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
• Preheat an oven to 375°F.
• Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.
• Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.
• Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.
• Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.
• Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
• Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.
• Place the olives around the sides.
• Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Grill the whole aubergines, turning them frequently until the skin blackens and blisters. Remove the peel, chop roughly and leave to drain in a colander.
• Squeeze as much liquid out of teh aubergines and place in a processor. Addd the garlic, tahini, ground almonds, lemon juice and cumin, season to taste and process to a smooth paste. Rough chop half of the mint leaves and stir into the dip.
• Spoon dip into a bowl and scatter remaining leaves and the olive oil on top. Serve with toasted pitta bread.

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix all dressing ingredients well.
• Put all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 to 1 cup dressing. Serve immediately.
• Drain and dry chick peas. Put garlic in food processor and mince. Add chick peas and mince, scraping down the sides. Add salt, tahini and lemon juice. Mix. Taste. Add enough reserve chick pea juice to make a thick creamy consistency. You should be able to make an indentation in the hummus with a back of a spoon. Check taste again for additional lemon or salt.
• Serve on a platter and garnish with radishes, tomato roses, reserve chick peas, parsley and or cayenne pepper. Serve with olive oil and fresh pita bread.
• Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and put upside down on a greased foil lined pan. Put under a broiler until the outside skin is charred black and the pulp inside is soft (15 to 30 minutes). Scrape out eggplant and put in bowl to cool, preferably in refrigerator for several hours. Pour off extra liquid before using.
• In a food processor, mince garlic, and scrape down sides. Add eggplant, salt, and 1/4 cup tahini. Pulse the food processor to mix. Slowly add lemon juice. Taste. Adjust salt and lemon or tahini.
• Serve on a shallow platter and garnish with chopped parsley, miniature eggplant, tomato or radish roses. Serve with Lebanese pita bread.

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Prick the eggplants all over the surface with a fork. Place on the direct heat side of the grill or directly on to the coals, close the lid of the grill and char on all sides, turning once the skin begins to darken and crack, about 5 minutes per side. When the eggplants have softened through, remove to a resealable bag and allow to steam for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the eggplants and discard the skin and most of the seeds.
• In the meantime, make the tehina. Break up the garlic cloves into a blender or food processor, leaving them in their papery skins. Add the lemon juice and salt and blend into a pulpy purée. Press the mixture though a strainer set over a bowl containing the tahini. Whisk to combine; the mixture will thicken and seize up. Whisk in the ice water, smoothing out into a loose sauce.
• Add the cleaned eggplant to a blender or food processor while still warm. Pour in all the tehina and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and lemon juice if needed. Serve with olive oil drizzled over the top.