Baba – what??

It certainly seems that I am not the only one who enjoys stir-fries. They really are a great 'go-to' meal for those busy nights, and I love how you can add pretty much anything to the mix depending on what you are craving (or what you have in the fridge!)

The lovely Lorraine enquired what I do if I don’t have a particular ingredient when it is drawn from the Mystery Box. 

Normally I choose the ingredient in the morning, or even the night before, so that I can run to the shops before dinner. Or, if I am doing a big grocery shop, I might even pick out a few ingredients from the Mystery Box on the weekend so that they can be bought and used during the week ahead.

Take tonight for example.

This morning I knew that we had no dinner plans, so I grabbed an ingredient from the Mystery Box before work for some Friday night inspiration.

The chosen ingredient.....eggplant!

I was going to go with an eggplant parmagiana-type dish, but when I came across a recipe for babaganoush.....well I was sold!

I can't actually remember the last time that I had this lovely eggplant dip. I normally opt for hummus these days, so chances are it was probably smeared on a lamb kebab at some ungodly hour in my university days. Ahh the memories ;) 

Anyway, those days have long since gone, so I decided on a more "adult" use for this lovely dip…a healthy snack platter.

   

Preparing the star of the show could not have been easier.

Halve eggplant, cook at 400F for 40 minutes. Throw in a few garlic cloves for the last 10 minutes.

Then remove the skin, and process with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, a pinch of chilli powder and olive oil.

 

Served warm with a variety of veggies and rice crackers.

A wholesome, albeit random, Friday night treat :)

The babaganoush was beautifully creamy, with a slight hint of spice from the chilli. Definitely something that I would make again.

What about you? What is your favourite dip?

Happy baking :)