Low Fat Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush or eggplant dip is one of my childhood favs.  I posted a recipe two years ago for was I thought was my mom's recipe.  But now I found out she also adds onions.  I've changed up my old recipe and now I'm using less olive oil.

Baba Ganoush
make jut over a cup

1 eggplant (or 2 smaller ones)
1 onion
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic
1 tsp rapeseed or olive oil
1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt

Roast the eggplant in the oven. (I just pop it in when I'm cooking something else so the time and temp depend on whatever else I'm cooking.  The eggplants with puff up.  Cool and peel.

Fry the onion in the oil and cumin.

Mash the garlic in the salt to make a paste.

Blend the onion, eggplant and garlic. Add the lemon juice to taste. No need to add extra oil!

Baba Ganoush

My mom makes the best Baba Ganoush (and hummus) in the world and I don't think she ever uses a recipe. She just blends adding more lemon, oil, or tehina until it taste right. I tried to write down a reicpe close to hers, but feel free to play around and find your own.

Baba Ganoush
Make about 1 cup
1 eggplant
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon
1 tsp tehina
1-2 tbs olive oil
salt, pepper, hot pepper

Roast the eggplant in a hot oven for about 45min. Just stick in while your baking something else. Or wrap the eggplant in foil and pop on the bbq, its done when its looks like a ballon ready to pop. Let the eggplant cool and peel.

Blend the eggplant, with the garlic, tehina and the jucie of half a lemon. Taste and add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. I also like to add hot pepper, lemon zest and fresh herbs.

Enjoy as a dip or sandwich spread.

Homemade Bagels

I only make bagels about once a year and I'm not really sure why I don't make them more often. I guess it could be the added step of boiling. It is a shame because making your own bagels is fun and when using my stand-by 'Shawn Dough' recipe easy too.

Homemade Bagels
make 4 large or 6 med sized bagels
3 cups of flour (1 cup can be whole wheat)
1 beaten egg + water to make a cup
1 tsp yeast
1/8 tsp salt

Into to bread machine on the dough setting. When using whole wheat sometime you will need to add a bit more water (1 tsp- 1 Tbs) just take look and add more if its dry.
Or
Make the dough by hand, mix, kneed and rise.
(If you don't know how to than maybe start off with my Step-by-Step Pizza Dough)

4 Steps to Shaping the Bagels
After the dough has doubled in size it is time to shape.
1. Roll the dough into 4 or 6 equal balls. Let rest for 10 min.
2. Using the back of a wooden spoon or your thumb made a whole in the center of each ball.
3. Spin the balls around your fingers to make the whole bigger.
4. Flatten the balls with the back of your hand, so they look like bagels.
*Note you may need to repeat step 3 and 4 a few times to get the right size.

Give the bagels a bath in boiling salted water. I do 1 min on each side.
Some people add baking soda or other crazy things to the water to get "New York Bagels".

Drain the bagels on a cookie sheet and top while still wet.
I made onion, poppyseed and sunflower wasabi.

Once the bagels are dry, bake in a preheated oven (400f) on a cookie sheet for 30 min or until the bagels are brown.

Potato Pancake: with Fresh Rosemary

My mom could never make too many latkas (potato pancakes). There was always a fight for the last one. So the first time Saeid made me Kookoo Sib Zamini (potato pancakes) and it turned out to potato pancakes I could not have been happier. While my mom likes to add carrots and Saeid adds onion; I love fresh rosemary.
Potato Pancakes: with Fresh Rosemary
serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter
1 med large potato (med in the USA large everywhere else)
1 Tbs flour
1 med egg
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp of salt
pepper, hot pepper to taste
Oil to fry (2-3 TBS)

Grate the potato. Ring out any extra water in the grated potato. Mix the flour and egg with the potato. Add in the rosemary, salt, pepper and hot pepper.

Pour a layer of oil in the bottom of a med frying pan. Bring to a med heat. Shape the potato mix into pancakes with hands. Each pancake should use about 1/4 cup of the mix. Fry. Each side should be golden brown. It takes about 3min a side. Drain on a paper towel. Eat while hot or reheat on a low heat in the oven. Note don't rush the pancakes, the inside will be raw and the outside black!!!
There are lots of ways to dress these up (with cream cheese and smoked salmon, applesauce or ketchup). But make sure you save one for me!!!!

Christmas Challah

Challah for Christmas breakfast is a bit like having ham for Hanukkah, but I was in the mood for a rich saffrony bread. My mother once spend hours and hours making what I can only guess was Panettone but as I can make Challah without thinking I just add dried fruit and nuts the dough.

Makes 1 large loaf
1 pinch saffron
1 tsp sugar
1 cup dried chopped fruit
1 tsp yeast
1 pinch salt
4 eggs (med)
1 cup chopped nuts and seeds
3-4 cups flour
2 Tbs poppy seeds

Make saffron powered by grinding the saffron in a small pestle and mortar (or small cup and the end of a wooden spoon) with the sugar. In a large bowl add the saffron powder and dried fruit and cover with bowling water. Let stand for 10 min or add the yeast and let prof. Then add 3 eggs to the mix with a pinch of salt. Add the nuts and then slowly start adding the flour. You may need more or lest flour (just ask your dried fruit its up to them). Let raise 4 hours or overnight.
Turn oven to hottest setting. 220c. Divide into 3 parts. Roll into snakes and braid. Make an egg wash with the last egg and paint the dough. Cover the top with poppy seeds. Bake for 30-35 min until nice and brown.
So what did we have with Christmas Challah? What else but smoked mackerel and starfish cookies. It was wried but tasty.