Deconstructed Babaghanoush.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and had to give it a try. It's now one of my favourites. I haven't done much cooking with eggplant, but it really is a surprisingly easy vegetable to cook. This recipe makes a great lunch, warm or cold. Tonight I plan on having it for dinner with some Quinoa and extra vegetables. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, sliced length-ways
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tsp of cumin powder
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes (I used a mixture of red and yellow)
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with sesame seeds

Tahini Dressing:
1/4 cup Tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons of olive oil
(Note: My Tahini dressing wasn't smooth like the original recipe, it was more like the consistency of hummus. I'm not sure why. It still tasted good though.)

Method:
In a small mixing bowl, add juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin powder, smoked paprika powder, chili powder, minced garlic, pinch of salt & pepper and stir to combine. Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet and thoroughly coat in the marinade.
Marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat a large non-stick grill skillet on medium high. You can use a proper grill or fry pan if you don't have a skillet.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the hot skillet or pan. Add slices of marinated eggplant. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Depending on the thickness of each slice, cook for at least a minute on each side. If you like it soft, cook for a little longer.
Prepare tahini dressing in a small bowl, by combining all of the above ingredients. Set aside.
Remove grilled eggplant and put on a plate to cool slightly. Chop into bite size pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add halved tomatoes, chopped parsley and grilled eggplant. Lightly toss everything with tahini dressing or serve the dressing on the side. Garnish with some toasted sesame seeds.

You can find the original recipe here.