Baba Ganoush with Red Pepper Coulis

Directions

1. 1

   Heat your oven to 375 degrees F.

2. 2

   Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry the eggplants and pierce them a few times with a sharp knife or fork. This will prevent an eggplant from bursting in the oven (which rarely happens but when it does it makes quite a mess). Bake the eggplants for 40 minutes or until they are very deflated looking and are very soft. Take them out of the oven and let them cool until you can comfortably handle them.

3. 3

   Cut them in half and place them skin side down. With a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the eggplants. You should have about 4-5 cups. If there are a lot of seeds, that’s fine. They will puree easily. Add the eggplant flesh to a food processor with the lemon juice, smoked paprika, black pepper, and tahini. Process until very smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

4. 4

   For the red pepper coulis:

5. 5

   Add the red peppers to a small food processor or blender and add the olive oil, salt, and chili flakes.. Process with a few pulses; It’s okay to leave some chunks if desired.

6. 6

   Serve the baba ganoush and red pepper coulis with warm pita bread quarters and garnished with black olives.