Making Your Own Middle Eastern Food

For those of you who love Middle Eastern food, I thought I'd share a recipe for hummus and baba ghanoush. It's surprisingly easy to make, super healthy, and a great way to change up what you normally make. Plus, it's guaranteed to impress if you take it to a get together :)

FYI: I have found that these are both better the next day as the flavors have time to meld and enhance.

HUMMUS

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (1-pound 3-ounce) cans chick-peas, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup well stirred tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil, or to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly
• Toasted pita thins
  

Directions

On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor puree the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl. In the food processor, cleaned, puree the remaining 1/4 cup oil with the parsley until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced transfer the parsley oil to a small jar. The hummus and the parsley oil may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the parsley oil and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Serve the hummus with the pita.

BABA GHANOUSH

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, about 1 pound total
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted pistachios, for garnish
• Pita bread, cut into wedges, for dipping

Directions

Pierce the eggplants in a few places with a fork, so steam has somewhere to go when you cook them. For a smoky flavor that will add depth to the finished dish, grill the eggplants on a very hot, oiled grill pan (or barbecue) until the skins are wrinkled and black, and the eggplants shriveled and soft; turning often. (If you prefer, roast the eggplants in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes.)

When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, split them open and scoop out the flesh, discarding the skin and as many seeds as possible. (I don't do this because the seeds are so small they don't bug me, but feel free to do it either way.)

In a food processor, combine the garlic, tahini, lemon juice and parsley; puree until smooth. Add the eggplant flesh; season with cumin, salt, and pepper; pulse several times to make a thick, coarse puree. Pour in the oil and pulse again to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped pistachios. Serve with pita wedges for dipping.

Erika