Baba Ganoush

I bought an entire eggplant last week for a recipe that called for only few tablespoons of it. So, left with three quarters of a perfectly good eggplant (and, ever since a particularly good dinner at a small turkish restaurant uptown, craving all foods Mediterranean) I decided to make my very own baba ganoush. I found a recipe from Wholefoods that seemed pretty simple - all I needed to buy was tahini (easy to find, as it turns out). Not including roasting time, this recipe takes about three minutes. Including roasting time, twenty-three minutes. Not so bad for a healthy, delicious dip - this one was creamy and tangy, jazzed up by the bright, fresh flavors of the lemon juice and fresh parsley - that'll last up to two weeks in the fridge. Goes great with fresh, cut-up veggies, crackers, or toasted pita.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, halved lengthwise
3 tbsp sesame tahini
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup parsley, chopped (+ more for garnish)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Arrange eggplant, cut side down, on baking sheet lined with foil
Prick all over with a fork
Bake 20 - 25 minutes, or until soft
When cool enough to handle, scrape out flesh and discard skin
Combine with other ingredients and puree
(I like it pretty smooth, but you can leave it chunky if you'd rather!)
Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve!

6 servings (about 100 calories / serving)