Saturday, June 04, 2005

Eat the rainbow - Baba Ghanouj

Since I went on Weight Watchers, I've gained a great appreciation for vegetables. They are healthy - and delicious. I especially love red bell peppers; I can't believe how sweet they are. I usually have no problems getting in veggies, but the problem is, they are mostly green. 5 to 7 veggie servings are encouraged, but they should be in a rainbow. So - some purple!

I love the concept of eggplants - they are a veggie (actually a berry, technically) that seems to evoke a feeling of exoticism, even though I know they are always available at the grocery store. They just seem different.

This recipe from WW New Complete Cookbook is very simple to put together in the food processor. It has a beautiful color - a nice brown with pretty green flecks from cilantro. The flavor is just about perfect - a tang of lemon, and just a hint of cilantro. I had been a little wary of the cilantro. It was a funny thing - the scent of fresh cilantro had made me queasy recently. Maybe it was the bunch I had picked up. For this recipe I used organic, and it was perfect.

I did split this recipe into 3 servings instead of 4, but other than that I stuck to the script - and I'm very happy I did.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Baba Ghanouj

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Snacks Spreads/Dips

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/4 pounds eggplant
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 medium green bell pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.

With a knife, pierce the eggplant several times; place on the baking sheet. Bake, turning once or twice, until soft and the skin is charred, about 45 minutes; let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin, then coarsely chop the eggplant.

In a food processor or blender, puree the eggplant, cilantro, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, coriander, and salt. Serve with the green bell peppers.

Source:
"WW New Complete Cookbook"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 73 Calories; 1g Fat (6.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 415mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat.

NOTES : 1 point

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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