Simple Aubergine Spread

I really like aubergines or eggplants. The texture is so spongy, it is a lot of fun to cook with because it will absorb any sauce while keeping a nice slightly chewy texture. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is really not a big fan of this ingredient. I really wanted to find a recipe using eggplant that would be good enough for him to appreciate. Well, I found it.

This aubergine spread is inspired by baba ghannouj, but I removed the olive oil because I thought that the tahini was enough. Anyways, this is super easy to prepare, and you can cook the aubergine ahead of time and whip this up in 5 minutes.

Definitively a crowd-pleaser, this spread is a great substitute for hummus, goes great with vegetables, and is a great addition to any sandwich. Did I mention it was great? You can also add any spice you like to make it extra flavorful.

Here is what you need:

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs tahini (sesame seeds butter)
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional additions: red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, fresh cilantro, roasted sesame seeds, thyme, rosemary, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and anything else you think will work!

Here is what you do:

1. Wash the eggplant, and cut out the stem. Cut the eggplant in two lengthwise. Score the flesh diagonally. Rub some salt and pepper on the flesh. Rejoin the two halves and tightly wrap the eggplant in foil.
2. Bake the eggplant for 40 minutes at 350F. Wrapping the eggplant up will help keeping the white color of the eggplant flesh. If you don’t mind the change of color, you can just place the eggplant halves on a cookie sheet.
3. Once the eggplant is cooked, let it cool until you can handle it with your hands. Unwrap the eggplant and place the two halves in a colander to drain. Once the eggplant is completely cooled, follow the recipe to the end, or place the eggplant in an air-tight container in the fridge until you are ready to continue.
4. With a big spoon, scrape the eggplant flesh out into your food processor bowl. Be careful, we don’t want any skin in there.
5. Add the vinegar, tahini, salt and pepper, and process until smooth. Taste and season to your liking. Keep in the fridge in an air-tight container.

This is really good! The texture is more light than hummus while still having that really nice tahini flavour. The best thing is, my boyfriend loved it! Let me know if you try it out and what extras you put in.