So pretty! And tasty! And veggie-licious!
If you’ve been following along on my blog, you’ll know that I have some Middle Eastern heritage, so I grew up eating things like hummus on a regular basis. (Of course, my mum being very much an international cook, I also grew up eating things like Thai Green Curry, Borscht, and Poffertjes on a regular basis. I have no Thai or Russian heritage, in case you were wondering. I do have some Dutch heritage though.) At any rate, growing up and eat a lot of Arabic foods, means that I have a definite opinion on what a certain dish ought to taste like.
Like baba ghanoush. Also known as eggplant dip. I like it when it’s creamy and smoky, with a tang. Pair that with warm pita, and it’s yum-city!
I’ve been reading up on the anti-inflammation diet, as I’m trying to figure out how best to manage my IBS, and I came across Jessica Black’s book, The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book. And lo and behold, there was a Baba Ghanoush recipe in it, and I had two eggplants in the fridge! Of course I had to try the recipe! It’s this one, in case you want to try it too.
So I made it. I have to say…I did not like it. I’m not sure if it was because the recipe was made to be anti-inflammatory, or whether I made an error in the mixing of it, but the DH was not a fan either. So I doctored it! I mixed it with some garlic balsamic dressing I had lying around the house, and then added some “zeit o zaater”. What the what? It literally means olive oil and thyme. Basically I sprinkled some olive oil (the really good stuff, that some relatives sent me) and a (standard in the Middle East) thyme/sesame/sumac mixture over it. It was delicious!
I took a picture and sent it to my dad. I immediately got a response.
“Margaret. How could you mix the baba ghanoush with zaater. You know what are you mixing? You are mixing baked eggplant with thyme. It is not mixable.” He was horrified.
My response?
“But it was TASTY all mixed up! Also pretty. :)”
I stand by my innovation. Do you have a favourite baba ghanoush recipe? Let me know in the comments! Maybe this will be my new kitchen Odyssey.
Next Post: That Meat and Veggie Galette I’ve been teasing you all with, for real this time. It’s a-gonna be worth it!
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