Baba Ghanoujh

What a fun word to say, Baba Ghanoujh (pronounced "ga-nooosch). I've never made it before, and I didn't know much about it, other than it's on all the Lebanese restaurants' menus around town. It's a Middle Eastern dish that is now glorified in the South (the deep South of the United States of America, that is).

I saw a recipe for "Quick Baba Ghanoujh" in the Southern Living "Homestyle Cooking" cookbook. I dashed to the store, purchased a beautiful eggplant, and whipped up this beauty in no time (with my extra tahini from my Black-Eyed Pea Hummus).


Picture courtesy of good-ole Google

Quick Baba Ghanouhj
1 large eggplant (about 1 to 1 1/2 lb)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp olive oil
Garnishes: kalamata olives, fresh parsley sprigs

Remove and discard end of eggplant (do not peel). Prick eggplant with a fork. Microwave on HIGH 7-10 minutes or until eggplant is tender; cool completely.

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, and scrape out soft pulp; discard shell. Process pulp, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cumin in a food processor until smooth. Add water to reach desired consistency, if necessary (this was not necessary for me). Place mixture in a shallow serving dish; drizzle with olive oil. Garnish, if desired. Serve with pita bread (or carrots and other veggies).

So good and easy and a great and healthy alternative to another "chip dip." Jackson loved this dip when I served it to him last night :)


And one more recipe for kicks. I've been reading The Pioneer Woman's cute book, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" about her love story and her life on the ranch. I was perusing her blog and found this amazing recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Panini, and I just HAD to make it. My mother-in-law gave me an amazing panini maker for Christmas, and I'm always looking for an excuse to use it. So, while I intend to make this for dinner tonight, I just thought this recipe needed a little taste test for lunch too (I couldn't help it; the bacon was calling my name from the fridge).


Picture from The Pioneer Woman's blog


Chicken Bacon Ranch Panini
Ingredients

8 slices Crusty French Bread
4 Tablespoons Softened Butter
2 whole Chicken Breasts, Cut In Half From Top To Bottom
Spicy Mustard
Ranch Dressing (homemade Or Bottled)
4 slices (thick) Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 slices Bacon, Cooked Until Chewy And Cut In Half

Preparation Instructions

Fry the four pieces of chicken breast in oil and butter until done in the middle, about 10-12 minutes. Slice into strips and set aside.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a generous amount of mustard on one half of the bread. Spread a generous amount of ranch dressing on the other half. (Definitely be generous; when the sandwich cooks, these will turn into more of a "sauce.")

Arrange chicken, bacon slices, and cheese slices on the bottom half. Top with the top slice. Butter both sides of the bread generously, then grill in the panini maker. (If you do not have a panini maker, you can grill the sandwiches in a skillet, laying a heavy skillet on top of the sandwich to press it together. Turn to grill the other side in the same way.)

**I didn't have any bottled Ranch dressing, so I made my own here.