Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Hummus) - Two Ways!

  

This is like hummus, just made with eggplant instead of garbanzo beans, making a lower-carb food.  I almost like the taste better, too!  Two-ways...

Blended smooth...

Blended smooth

OR hand mixed...

Hand-mixed

Ingredients:

1 medium-large eggplant
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbs. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic (chopped if blending in machine, minced if hand-mixing) or 1 bulb roasted garlic (see directions in red beet hummus recipe)
pinch salt
pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Wash eggplant, dry it and poke holes in it with fork.  Line a baking tray with foil and place eggplant on it.

Place in oven at 400 degrees and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until it shrivels and juice runs from it.  If I think it's getting there I take it out of the oven and cut open with a knife to see what it looks like inside.  When it looks like it does in this photo it's done:

Roasted eggplant

Allow eggplant to cool enough to handle.  Scoop the eggplant out of the skin.

Place it in a food processor or blender along with all the other ingredients.

Blend until thoroughly mixed.




Alternatively, you can mix all ingredients in a bowl for a coarser texture.  I think both ways turn out great, they are just different.  Use a fork to mash and mix or a mashing-tool...

These are great savory dip for veggies, crackers, etc.  Also, a great sandwich filling!

Super Moist Carob Cacao Sweet Potato Goldies

Here is an easy recipe that produces VERY moist "brownies" (or cake!) with quite a delicate taste.  They are very lightly flavored with carob so as to not cover up the sweet potato flavor and the cacao nibs add a flavor BITE to the mix, separate from the moistness (you could even choose to leave the nibs out).  This one doesn't require any electric  devices such as food processors, either.  To mash the sweet potato you can use a fork or a potato masher utensil.  Since this recipe is naturally sweet from the sweet potato and carob you might choose to leave the stevia out (I add it, because I have QUITE a sweet-tooth!).  

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2 cups steamed or baked mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1/4 cup almond meal (simply grind almonds in food processor or blender)
2 tbs carob powder
2 tbs cacao nibs (plus more for optional garnish)
dash of salt
stevia powder, to taste (optional)



Directions:


Begin by whisking together the eggs in a medium-large bowl.

Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour batter in a greased 9x9 baking pan and sprinkle on additional cacao nibs, if desired.  Alternatively, you could also bake in a circular pan and turn this into a cake!

Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Allow to cool, then cut, serve, and enjoy!

You could try adding vanilla extract and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe.

Roasted Red Beet and Garlic Hummus

Several years ago I made a beetroot hummus from a recipe I found in a vegetarian cookbook.  I made it around Christmas time and the color was so beautiful and festive.  This year I finally got to making it again, but this time I made some changes and, oh my, it is yummy!  The roasting of the beet and garlic adds to the flavor, but if you wanted to save some time you could steam the beet and use raw garlic (if using raw garlic, be sure to decrease the amount you use or it will be too strong, garlic-wise).

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 large beetroot (or 1 small)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bulb roasted garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin (or if you used a high speed blender like me you can add the seeds whole before blending)
pinch of salt (I use sea salt or Himalayan)



Directions:

Begin by roasting the beetroot and garlic.  Preheat oven between 350-400 degrees.  Wash the beetroot, do NOT peel, rub with olive oil, then wrap in a piece of tin foil.  Next, take the bulb of garlic and cut the cloves off across the top, just exposing the inside.  Place bulb on a piece of tin foil, then drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap the bulb up in the foil.   Now, place the garlic and beetroot on an oven proof pan and bake until roasted.  You will know the garlic is done when it begins to look caramelized (a bit browned but NOT burned!) and the beet is done when you can stick a fork through to the middle.  I think it took me about 45 minutes to roast the garlic and about 1 hour for the beetroot.  I started the timer at about 30 minutes and kept checking them periodically.

While the beetroot and garlic are roasting begin preparing the other ingredients.  Rinse the garbanzo beans (you can definitely substitute canned beans with freshly soaked and cooked ones!) in a strainer and allow the water to drain off for several minutes.

Combine the garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt in a food processor or blender.  Once the garlic has been roasted take it out of the oven, open the tin foil, and allow it to cool enough to handle safely with your hands.  It should look something like this:

Once cooled, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and add to the other ingredients.  Alternatively, if you chose to use raw garlic, just add 2 peeled cloves of raw garlic instead.  Raw garlic is much stronger, that is why I suggest using a much smaller amount.  Once the beet(s) have been roasted, use a fork to "hold" on to the beet(s) and remove the skin by scraping it off with a butter knife.

After the skin has been removed cut the beet into smaller pieces to help it continue to cool.  Allow to cool for a few minutes then add to the other ingredients.

Now, you are ready to blend it up!  Blend up the ingredients until smooth.  Serve immediately or store in the fridge and use within several days.  This hummus is delicious with raw veggies, corn chips, salad or sandwich topper, and the list goes on!  Also, a GREAT addition to the appetizer spread for your holiday potluck or party--- Enjoy!

Check out this link for more feel divine recipes at this week's Wellness Weekend!