Oven Roasted Eggplant and Baba Ganoush Dip Recipe

One of my favorite dishes hands down is eggplant parmesean but, I don't want it SO full of cheese that I can't see or taste the eggplant!  I like lightly coated eggplant with a touch of marinara.  While I was in search of a new eggplant recipe - I saw this and had to try it - I love it!  I squeezed a touch of fresh lemon juice over it and a hint of cheese spinkled on top right before serving - yum! Enjoy ~ Diane 

Oven Roasted Eggplant plus *Baba Ganoush (roasted eggplant dip recipe too!)

Eggplant
Light Olive Oil
Salt
Thyme (fresh or dried) 
*optional lemon vinaigrette dressing

Preheat oven to 400.
Line Cookie Sheet with Parchment paper. Set aside
Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, cut a cross-hatch pattern 
into eggplant (do not pierce skin) slightly spread open cross-hatch and
sprinkle lightly with salt (this will draw out bitterness and water that soaks up too much oil.) Lay face side up on a rimmed plate for an hour at room temperature. You will see water beading out of eggplant, after an hour - you can gently squeeze the eggplant over a bowl or your sink to release remaining water in eggplant. Pat dry the eggplant. Brush tops of eggplant lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme lightly then lay face down on cookie sheet that has parchment paper on it. *If you use fresh thyme, set the spring of thyme onto cookie sheet and lay eggplant over the thyme springs. Roast in oven for at least an hour. The skins will collapse upon themselves and be a more chocolatey color. Remove from oven and let set for at least 20 mins to cool. Gently upright onto serving plate and if preferred, sprinkle with a bit of lemon or lemon vinaigrette.
Recipes Adapted from: Food .com

Or you can turn it into a Great Dipping Sauce:
*Baba Ganoush (roasted eggplant dip)

**After Roasting as Noted Above**
Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.
Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.
Add 1/4 cup tahini, 3 garlic cloves:minced, 1/4 cup lemon juice and a pinch of ground cumin and mix well.
Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.
Place the olives around the sides.
Serve at room temperature with crackers or toast points if preferred
Recipe Adapted from: Joanne Wier 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home

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