Mediterranean cuisine is my favorite type of cuisine, which encompasses greek food. It's just SO GOOD. The use of fresh herbs, citrus, and garlic make the dishes extremely flavorful and fresh. In addition, most recipes are pretty simple and basic to make with few ingredients.
Of my favorite meditteranean dishes, baba ghanouj (or baba ganoush) is my all-time favorite appetizer. I usually make a batch weekly just to have as a quick snack with veggies, because it is so easy to prepare. You can find my traditional baba ghanouj recipe here.
Recently, I have been on a mint kick. Mint matcha mojito's, mint dressing, etc (yes - recipes soon to come)! One, because my mint plant in my backyard produced very well this year. Two, mint is just f-ing delicious. So, I thought... 'what would mint in baba ghanouj taste like?'
Holy mother of greek food, it came out way better than I could have ever expected. Each time I make a bigger and bigger batch, for it to disappear only quicker and quicker each time! Maybe it's the summer heat, or maybe it is my love for mint. Either way, I have found a new favorite snack that is perfect with veggies or pita bread.
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Tahini
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp mint
- 1 Tbsp basil
- olive oil (for roasting)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice your eggplant into 1 inch rounds and pat with a napkin to remove excess liquid (this will speed up the cook time).
- Arrange on a baking sheet and coat graciously with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping a couple times until the flesh is soft and tender. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Peel away the skin of the eggplant, it should come off easily. Then, add the flesh to a food processor.
- Add lime, garlic, tahini, and a pinch of salt. Mix until creamy. Add mint and basil and blend for a few more seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve carrots, cucumbers, pita bread, pita chips, etc. Will keep covered in the fridge for several days.
- Tahini is made from toasted sesame seeds and is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus, baba ghanouj, and halva. You can typically find it on the ethnic isle in grocery stores.