Need a little inspiration for some Summer snacking?

The weather finally got hot here and I think it’s going to stay that way. I say at least for the following months. It’s alright with me though. I know all too well that the cold will return soon enough. As you know, one of my favorite ways to take advantage of each season is to make something delicious.

So if you caught my recent posts you may know that I’m doing this little self-challenge. My goal is to start expanding my normal vegetable choices to things I don’t use as much (or never). Eggplant is not something I’ve tried before but rarely, if ever, use. When I was trying to decide what to make with it, I came across a beautiful appetizer board online and immediately baba ga-knew-sh what to do. (Rofl, I know it was such a corny line.)

Baba ganoush is a dip with a name that’s fun to say but sounds a bit fancy and complicated, right? Well, the great news is that it’s not at all. In fact, it’s very easy to make and only takes a few minutes of hands on work. You simply roast an eggplant first (a step I like to accomplish while I’ve already got my oven on for baking other things anyway). After that you peel it, throw it a blender with the other ingredients, and press go. That’s all there is to it.

Oh, and I’ve been loving sharing some little insides to how I sometimes use my recipes. I made this dip a few days ago on the same day I made this borscht soup and decided that this would make a great salad dressing so I had some corn on the cob and some greens.

You can also serve this as a warm dip for parties or events you might like to take it to. Either way, I think a variety of colorful veggies, chips, and crackers make a great presentation.

As always, I’d love to know what you think if you decide to make it and feel free to ask any questions. 😉

Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

A fancy yet simple dip that is great with chips, crackers, and veggies.

Ingredients

1 medium-large eggplant, washed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
sea salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200C) and line a baking tray with foil or parchment. Bake the eggplant whole for 30-40 minutes until the skin begins to look wrinkled and darkens. Remove from oven and cool until able to handle it.
Peel off the skin of the eggplant and cut off the stem. Then place the rest into a blender or food processor and add the other ingredients. Pulse until smooth and it's ready to serve.
Store in an airtight container if saving.
Wash and chop all of your veggies and place them in large pot. Pour in the vegetable stock and cover the pot. Place over medium high heat and bring to simmering boil. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes, or until the beets and potatoes are very tender.
Add the tomato paste, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot with desired toppings.

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.

And, by the way, to all the minnows out there, my intro post did a huge $0.21. The key to success on Steemit is to be consistent and persistent. Click on the link below for some great tutorials on how you can also succeed on the steem blockchain:

Master Toolkit: Steemit Resource Guide Illustrated by @sndbox

Also, a huge shoutout to @rigaronib for designing my logo!

If you're looking for more recipes check out some of my other recent posts!

1. Traditional Ukrainian Borscht Soup
2. Warm Fig & Cardamom Oatmeal
3. Cocoa & Maca Bliss Balls
4. Korean Edamame & Jicama Stir-Fry
5. Cherry Berry Nice Cream Sundaes

Also, I've been starting to vlog in case you missed it.

2. Hiking to Snow Creek Falls + I Hit 17k Followers!
3. Vlog #3: Looking for a New Gym + Meet My Baby
4. Vlog #2 Rock Climbing With @hotrod, @fullofhope, and @whiteknight20 + What I ate Today

20 questions with @gringaliciousDo you want to learn more about me? Click here to see a recent @wadepaterson interview with me -