The Father of All Dips

Ok... So I took a little liberty with the title of this post, and maybe no one has ever called this recipe the Father of All Dips. But they should, and not only for the taste. 

I'm talking about Baba Ganoush and while I love the smoky flavour of the slow roasted garlic and eggplant, the word Baba actually translates to father in Arabic. 

Mother's believed that if they fed their daughter's this dip, they would attract husbands with similar attributes to their fathers. 

I don't know how true that is, but you know it's said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so maybe the daughter's just learned their mother's recipes after tasting the yummy dips! 

Plus, I think someone's father just loved this dip and that's partially why it's called Baba Ganoush. Maybe someone named Father Ganoush!

I hope you love my creamy version!

Creamy Baba Ganoush

1 large eggplant (choose a firm and shiny veggie with no blemishes)
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon + 1/8 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Prick eggplant with a knife on all sides. Place on cookie sheet.

3. Cut top of garlic away and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the centre of the garlic and wrap the foil around it so it is entirely encased. Place foil wrapped garlic on cookie sheet beside eggplant.

4. Bake eggplant and garlic for about 40 minutes or until both vegetables are soft. Let cool slightly so you can easily handle the vegetables.

5. Scoop flesh of eggplant out and place in a medium bowl or blender. Squeeze garlic cloves into the same bowl or the blender.

6. Add remaining olive oil, yogurt,and lemon juice. Puree with immersion blender in the bowl or with regular blender.

7. Season with salt and serve with pitas, crackers, or sliced veggies.

This dip is also great if you use two eggplants and don't use the yogurt!