The New Year has begun, and Spring semester is coming up sunny. The days are beautifully brisk right now, but sooner than later that valley sun will be forcing off the boots and chunky sweaters to reveal our (hopefully) swimsuit-ready bodies. Meal plan discounts are being sold and fast-food options are all over town, but the healthiest options are still the ones that get mixed up in your own kitchen. February also happens to be Heart Disease Awareness Month, and lucky for us, most heart-healthy food options are also ones that are good for the waistline. This week’s recipe is a Levantine dish that fulfills the American Heart Association’s guidelines: high in fiber, low in cholesterol, no trans-fats and rich in vitamins.
BABA GOUNESH
1 eggplant
2 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon or orange juice
1-5 cloves garlic (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. cumin
Optional: turmeric, coriander, curry
Wrap the eggplant in tinfoil and bake in a 450° oven for about 20 minutes. While it’s roasting, mince the parsley and check to make sure that all of the margarita mix got washed out of your roommate’s blender. Unless you’re lucky enough to have access to a food processor- if you do, use that. Otherwise, make sure the blender is clean and blend up the (peeled) garlic.
If you’re smart, when the eggplant comes out of the oven, you’ll unwrap it and let it cool for about a half hour. If you’re more like me, you’ll burn your hands and cuss like a sailor while trying to skin the eggplant. Either way, once you’ve got the skin off, add it to the blender. There will be a lot of juice pouring out of the eggplant, try to get as much of this into the blender as possible- I’m told this is most of the flavor.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. This involves a lot of stopping the blender and scraping down the sides with a spoon. I repeat- STOP THE BLENDER. Otherwise, spoon bits end up in the dip and spoon handles turn into errant projectiles.
Once smooth, serve with pita bread or celery sticks.