Roasted Eggplant Dip – Baba Ghanoush

Difficulty Rating # 2 (Little bit tedious)

Eggplant – 1 large or 2 medium
Olive Oil – about 3 Tbsp.
Tahini – 2-3 Tbsp.
Garlic Cloves – 1-2 cloves (or to taste)
Ground cumin – 1 tsp.
Lemon juice – about 2 ½ Tbsp.
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400*.  Poke eggplants several times with a fork.  Cut in half lengthwise.  Place on a baking sheet cut side down.  Roast 35-40 min or until very tender.

2.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

3.  Remove the eggplant flesh and discard the skin. 

4.  Mash the flesh well with a fork and discard any moisture that separates from the eggplant.

5.  Combine with the remaining ingredients until the mixture is smooth but still retaining some of the texture of the eggplant. 

6.  Allow to cool to room temperature and adjust seasoning.

7.  Swirl with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.

8.  Serve with pita bread, crackers etc.