Baba Ganoush - Wife Approved Recipe

Get out the low sodium, glutten-free, baked, organic, mulit-grain crackers for this Wife Approved video recipe of delicious dip: Baba Ganoush.

My wife likes nothing better than watching her fav HBO and Showtime dramatic series with a small package of chips or crackers and a creamy dip nearby.

Eggplant, like a whoopie cushion, deflates into a soft mass after it's baked in the oven for half an hour. While the skin is bitter until cooked, the roasted mushy flesh becomes sweet. Baba Ganoush is finished with a quick spin in a blender or food processor. Serve it as a side -- or, cut pita bread into triangles and serve it as a dip at your next get-together.

An Eggplant just looks funny: a black/purple, oddly shaped, inflated veggie balloon (and, it's as light as one, too.) But, boy does it taste good when prepared my way. The other ingredients are cheap enough: sesame seeds, olive oil, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and a couple of optional ingredients: ground paprika and parsley.

Baba Ganoush, like hummas, is made with Tahini: peanut butter-like, oily, ground sesame seeds. In my video that's what I used. But, I also show you how to make a taste-similar version of Tahini -- easily made by adding a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds to your coffee grinder (or spice grinder) and blending until it's a powder (it doesn't grind every last seed, but does well enough.) It's the same thing, really, just in a slightly damp powder form. It's the molecular gastronomic version a Top Chef would sprinkle over some deconstructed dish.

If your local market doesn't stock Tahini, and you're not interested in grinding sesame seeds, then you can  substitute with a teaspoon of peanut butter (just don't tell your Middle Eastern dining guests!) Peanut butter has a similar taste, but it's much stronger than Tahini, so you want to use half the amount.  Or, for the easiest option of all, just use sesame oil.  The taste is milder, but it will suffice.

So pull up a chair and check out the 99 Cent Chef's latest Wife Approved recipe video, for Baba Ganoush. It's a fun, stop-motion animated delight of time-lapse deflating eggplants -- full of icky, gooey, veggie innards pulsed into a smooth delectable dip.

  Baba Ganoush - Video
 
Play it here. Video runs 3 minutes, 3 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 4 Japanese eggplants - or, 2 regular eggplants. (I got about 1 1/2 cups cooked flesh.)
• 2 tablespoons Tahini - You can make your own by adding 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds to a coffee grinder, and pulverize. Or, just blend in a 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, instead of olive oil. You could even substitute Tahini with a teaspoon of peanut butter.
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic - fresh, or from jar.
• 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice - fresh or from a bottle. In the video I used lime.
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil - 2 for blending, and 1 more for drizzling on Baba Ganoush before serving.
• Handful of parsley - or tablespoon of dried. Save a chopped sprig for presentation. Optional.
• 1 teaspoon of paprika - optional.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Slice into one side of the eggplant, or poke it all over with a fork -- you need to do this, or the eggplant may explode into a mess in your oven.

Cover eggplant in a casserole dish, or place in a large pan (or cookie sheet) and cover with foil. I used Japanese eggplant so this was easy to do; however if you are using a more typical large eggplant, poke it, then just wrap it in foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

When eggplant is done, unwrap it and allow to cool for 10 minutes. It will continue to seam and soften in its skin. After it is cool enough to handle, split it open and spoon out the soft flesh into a bowl or plate. Toward the tapering stem, the meat may be stringy, but still usable -- it will mash and blend fine. 

Finally, mix all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Pulse and blend until it is a smooth mass, similar to hummus or cooked grits. You could also just mash it all together with a fork, until the texture is like oatmeal. The flavors deepen and intensify if you let the Baba Ganoush sit covered in the refrigerator for a couple of hours; then set it out until it reaches room temperature.

To serve, just spoon it into a serving bowl and sprinkle on some chopped parsley (optional) and finish with a light drizzle of olive oil. I like to cut up a pita into triangles, for easy scooping. For the carb-wary, substitute with some sliced veggie sticks like carrots, celery, broccoli, or any favorite crunchy veggie. It's fine to just plop some on the plate and use it like a sweet gravy.

Hindsight
As mentioned earlier, peanut butter is a convenient substitution -- just be sure to use half the amount asked for with Tahini. The next time I make it, I will try a version without the powdered paprika, or use even less.

Usually when I get Baba Ganoush at a Persian or Israeli restaurant, they drizzle on olive oil, but you don't have to do this -- to keep things low calorie.

 I got a cup and a half of cooked flesh from the eggplant. Your amount may vary, but don't worry if you have less or more, just roll with it. Baba Ganoush is versatile enough to play around with adding and subtracting the ingredients -- that's what this chintzy chef does all the time, play in the kitchen!

Top 9 Recipes of 2013

My much anticipated year end countdown, the Top 9 Recipes of 2013, is here! This is the most difficult blogpost to write as all the recipes are taste-tested and have to meet the high standards of this Cheap$kate Culinarian.

I like to keep it real when choosing recipes, real cheap that is. If you are a frequent visitor, then you know the drill, but for the newbies, I cook with ingredients that cost around 99 cents each. Everything from a huge eggplant for 99.99 cents, to an 8 pound pork butt that sells for 87 cents per pound.

Now, the trick is coming up with tasty recipes using inexpensive ingredients. Well, how does this 2013 Best Of list (in no particular order) sound to you: Soul Food Black-eyed Peas, BBQ Pulled Pork, Denise's Eggplant Burger, Chef Matt's Pecan Crusted Fish, Carnitas (Mexican-Style Pork,) Roasted Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Salsa), Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken, Coconut Oatmeal, Green Beans & Ground Pork Stir Fry.

*Just click on any above name to see the text, photo and video illustrated blogpost recipe.

I got all the bases covered in my recipe compilation, everything from vegetarian to ethnic, and a full-on BBQ pork dinner to a unique breakfast oatmeal.

And my recipes are both entertaining and handsomely presented like no other food blog. I can't think of a website that uses easy-to-follow photo/text illustrated recipe directions, original cooking videos with family and friends, and even arty, but fun, stop motion recipe videos. Hey, I put everything I've learned in the media world to clearly and cleverly present recipes anyone can make and afford.

So dig in and check out my Top 9 Recipes of 2013, by clicking on the recipe list mentioned above.

And if that isn't enough, here are other 2013 recipes that deserve honorable mention: Ultimate Turkey Sandwich, Egg Salad, Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Mash, Party Clam Dip, Green Beans & Almonds, and Chiccarones (fried pig skin) Tacos.

Have a great New Year and do come back for more delish, cheap$kate recipes.

Denise's Eggplant Veggie Burgers

My youngest sister came out to LA this summer from Austin, Texas. I've visited Austin a few times and have always had a great time. We also get along politically, as Austin is a small pocket of Blue in a severely Red State.

When I venture into the South, I have to bite my tongue, or tread lightly with my Conservative friends and relatives. (I'm more Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck than Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie than Dog Eat Dog by Ted Nugent.) But nothing settles scores quicker than hitting Stubb's for smoky, tender slices of BBQ sliced brisket and popping open an ice-cold Lone Star Beer.

My sister and her husband Dale are old hippy souls who do their own tie-dye. They are also big outdoors types who hike, camp, cave and take frequent trips to off-the-map Mexico locations. They have a large front yard garden and a huge compost pile in the back yard. And of course Denise and Dale eat healthy, foraging from their garden and canning the crops. (The Whole Foods Market chain began in Austin.)

A favorite meal of Dale's is Denise's Eggplant Burger, which she was kind enough to cook in my latest recipe video below.

First off we headed to my local 99c Only Store for ingredients. Denise was skeptical but quickly saw the cheap$kate light when we hit the produce section. It carried all the fresh vegetable ingredients she needed, including: eggplant (not always stocked, but frequent enough,) red bell pepper, onions, mushrooms and garlic. It also carried whole wheat buns and bread for breadcrumbs, eggs, mozzarella, dried parmesan cheese and mayo.

I think Denise and Dale are now 99c only Store converts as you will see in the recipe video opening. Denise was literally dancing in the aisles because of all the great deals we found.

Back in the kitchen Denise showed me how easy it is to make her Eggplant Burgers. Between the two of us we got the chopping done and went right to sauteing the veggies. When the veggies are cooked soft, you refrigerate the mixture for about an hour to firm it up, then form and saute the eggplant patties. We ended up making enough for four, with a couple patties leftover, which my wife cooked up a few days later.

Did the recipe turn me into a vegetarian? Not quite, but they were one of the best veggie burgers I've had. Big fat veggie patties seared crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside, this burger had it all. But don't take my word for it, just watch the end of the video to get other satisfied diner comments.

(And this is a rain check recipe, as extra eggplant patties can be separated by wax paper and frozen in a Ziploc bag or container for future use.)

So check out Denise's Eggplant Burger video recipe below, and see how deliciously easy it is to make your own.

Denise's Eggplant Burger - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 8 minutes, 34 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
And 99 thanks to Dale for shooting the Chef.

Ingredients (about 6-8 veggie patties, depending on eggplant size)

• 2 medium eggplants - diced into 1/2 inch pieces. About 8 cups total when cubed. My video uses 1 1/2 eggplants, so I am adding an extra cup of breadcrumbs to recipe (for 2 whole eggplants.) Okay to use Japanese or any type of eggplant, but may need to double or triple the amount, depending on size.
• 1/2 cup chopped onion - any type.
• 1/4 bell pepper - red for the video recipe, but any color is okay.
• Garlic – about 2 cloves minced
• Mushrooms – one small package
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 eggs - lightly beaten
  
• 1 cup mozzarella/parmesan - mostly shredded mozzarella and 4 tablespoons of cheap dried parmesan.
• 2 cups breadcrumbs - Okay to use dried and packaged. I made fresh. Just blender 2-3 slices of bread until fine crumbled - pulse/blender about 30 seconds.
• 1 tablespoon oil for onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic.
• 2 to 3 tablespoons oil for frying eggplant - may need more to keep from sticking, if cooking eggplant in batches.
• And 2 to 3 more tablespoons of oil for sauteing eggplant patties.
• Salt and pepper to taste - or Cajun Seasoning, like Tony's Chachere's.
• Bread for veggie burgers - I used whole wheat buns, but okay to use any favorite bun or bread slices, even pita bread.
• Favorite burger toppings like lettuce, tomato and pickles, with mayo, mustard and/or ketchup.

Directions
Saute chopped onions, bell pepper and mushrooms in oil over medium heat about 5-10 minutes. When soft add garlic and saute for another minute.

Cube 1 1/2 eggplants into 1 inch pieces, okay to leave skin on. In a large pan, saute eggplant in oil over medium heat until very soft, about 10 to 20 minutes.

When all veggies are cooked, allow to cool about 5 minutes before adding eggs.

In a large bowl mix all cooked veggie ingredients, including eggs, cheese and bread crumbs.

Chill in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Eggplant mixture is quite wet and mushy, so chilling will firm it up, making it easier to work with.(If you are cooking with a BBQ grill, allow a couple of hours in the refrigerator for eggplant patties to get extra firm so they don't slip through the grating.)

Start to heat 2 - 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Form chilled eggplant mixture into patties, about an inch thick and big enough to fill a hamburger bun. Cook eggplant patties about 5-10 minutes each side until dark brown.

I find it best to not move the patty for 3-5 minutes, so a crust forms that helps keep the patty from breaking apart and sticking even more to the pan.

Depending on how small the eggplant pieces are, a few may separate from patty - so either press them back in or chow down on loose pieces when done.

And make sure to loosen each patty totally from pan, or they will break apart when turning them over.

You can get out and prepare all your hamburger toppings before the eggplant patties cook.

Hindsight
The recipe is easy to half and cook with just one eggplant (one cup of breadcrumbs per eggplant, one egg, 1/2 cup of cheese, etc.)

The cooked texture is a mix of crunchy outside and soft, mushy interior. So it may seem undercooked, but as long as the outside is well browned, the mixed egg inside will be done.

Soft bread or buns are preferred as eggplant patty may squish and break when chewy bread is used.

If your eggplant patties are too crumbly, try adding one more egg to mixture (which will help firm up the patties as they cook.) Also, smaller eggplant pieces will hold together better, and make sure the eggplant cubes are cooked long enough to be very soft.

I left the skin on my eggplant so browning may be hard to see, but cook until the outside is dark brown.

If you are carb-phobic, Denise's Eggplant Patties are delish on their own, served with your favorite sides, or a salad.

Baba Ganoush - Roasted Eggplant Dip Video

Get out the low sodium, glutten-free, baked, organic, mulit-grain crackers for this video recipe of delicious dip: Baba Ganoush.

And, an Eggplant just looks funny: a black/purple, oddly shaped, inflated veggie balloon (and, it's as light as one, too.) But, boy does it taste good in The 99 Cent Chef's latest recipe video. The other ingredients are cheap enough: sesame seeds, olive oil, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and a couple of optional ingredients: ground paprika and parsley.

Eggplant, like a whoopie cushion, deflates into a soft mass after it's baked in the oven for half an hour. While the skin is bitter, the mushy flesh is sweet. Baba Ganoush is finished with a quick spin in a blender or food processor. Serve it as a side -- or, cut pita bread into triangles and serve it as a dip at your next get-together.

Baba Ganoush, like hummas, is made with Tahini: peanut butter-like, oily, ground sesame seeds. In my video that's what I used. But, I also show you how to make a taste-similar version of Tahini -- easily made by adding a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds to your coffee grinder (or spice grinder) and blending until it's a powder (it doesn't grind every last seed, but does well enough.) It's the same thing, really, just in a slightly damp powder form. It's the molecular gastronomic version a Top Chef would sprinkle over some deconstructed dish.

If your local market doesn't stock Tahini, and you're not interested in grinding sesame seeds, then you can  substitute with a teaspoon of peanut butter (just don't tell your Middle Eastern dining guests!) Peanut butter has a similar taste, but it's much stronger than Tahini, so you want to use half the amount.  Or, for the easiest option of all, just use sesame oil.  The taste is milder, but it will suffice.

So pull up a chair and check out the 99 Cent Chef's latest recipe video, for Baba Ganoush. It's a fun, stop-motion animated delight of time-lapse deflating eggplants -- full of icky, gooey, veggie innards that blends into a smooth delicious dip.

  Baba Ganoush - Video
 
Play it here. Video runs 3 minutes, 3 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 4 Japanese eggplants - or, 2 regular eggplants. (I got about 1 1/2 cups cooked flesh.)
• 2 tablespoons Tahini - You can make your own by adding 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds to a coffee grinder, and pulverize. Or, just blend in a 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, instead of olive oil. You could even substitute Tahini with a teaspoon of peanut butter.
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic - fresh, or from jar.
• 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice - Fresh or from container. In the video I used lime juice.
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil - 2 for blending, and 1 more for drizzling on Baba Ganoush before serving.
• Handful of parsley - or tablespoon of dried. Save a chopped sprig for presentation. Optional.
• 1 teaspoon of paprika - optional.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Slice into one side of the eggplant, or poke it all over with a fork -- you need to do this, or the eggplant may explode into a mess in your oven.

Cover eggplant in a casserole dish, or place in a large pan (or cookie sheet) and cover with foil. I used Japanese eggplant so this was easy to do -  however if you are using a more typical large eggplant, poke it, then just wrap it in foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

When eggplant is done, unwrap it and allow to cool for 10 minutes. It will continue to seam and soften in its skin. After it is cool enough to handle, split it open and spoon out the soft flesh into a bowl or plate. Toward the tapering stem, the meat may be stringy, but still usable -- it will mash and blend fine. 

Finally, mix all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Pulse and blend until it is a smooth mass, similar to hummus or cooked grits. You could also just mash it all together with a fork, until the texture is like oatmeal.

The flavors deepen and intensify if you let the Baba Ganoush sit covered in the refrigerator for a couple of hours; then set it out until it reaches room temperature.

To serve, just spoon it into a serving bowl and sprinkle on some chopped parsley (optional) and finish with a light drizzle of olive oil. I like to cut up a pita into triangles, for easy scooping. For the carb-wary, substitute with some sliced veggie sticks like carrots, celery, broccoli, or any favorite crunchy veggie. It's fine to just plop some on the plate and use it like a sweet gravy.

Hindsight
As mentioned earlier, peanut butter is a convenient substitution -- just be sure to use half the amount asked for with Tahini. The next time I make it, I will try a version without the powdered paprika, or use even less. Usually when I get Baba Ganoush at a Persian or Israeli restaurant, they drizzle on olive oil, but you don't have to do this -- to keep things low calorie.
 I got a cup and a half of cooked flesh from the eggplant. Your amount may vary, but don't worry if you have less or more, just roll with it. Baba Ganoush is versatile enough to play around with adding and subtracting the ingredients -- that's what this chintzy chef does all the time, play in the kitchen!

Eggplant Parmesan

Luscious and cheesy, with crunchy coated eggplant, this Italian deep-dish classic is a bit of work, but well worth it, especially when The 99 Cent Chef shows you how to do it on the cheap!

It's old school this time -- I fry the eggplant in oil, for an extra delectable crunchy breadcrumb crust, instead of the calorie-conscious baking method. But, I do substitute a lighter ricotta for typical mozzarella, and I use dried grated parmesan cheese instead of  fresh shaved. It's cheaper this way and just as flavorful.

And yes, you can make an Eggplant Parmesan with 99.99 cent ingredients. I picked up everything, including: a large container of ricotta, dried parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, breadcrumbs, and a package of 2 medium sized eggplants -- each for 99.99 cents.

Now if you don't have a 99c only Store, all these ingredients are less than you think - ricotta cheese is often cheaper than cheddar -- or substitute with budget cottage cheese. Jars and cans of tomato sauce are cheap anywhere; and a can of bread crumbs will last forever (after all, we are talking stale dried bread), so pick up a couple next time they are on sale.

Ingredients (serves 3-4)
32 oz. (2 lbs.) ricotta cheese - 1 large or 2 small containers. Allow to reach room temperature. Okay to substitute with cottage cheese.
3 oz. container of dried parmesan. You can use fresh grated.
1 small package of mozzarella cheese for topping - optional. I had a small 99 cent puck of Mexican Queso Fresco that I crumbled up and used.
1 large can or jar (about 28 oz.) of tomato sauce - your favorite. I used crushed tomatoes.

Ingredients for Breaded Eggplant
2 medium eggplants - I use medium slices so they will fit into a baking pan.
3/4 can of dried bread crumbs - about 4 oz.
1 1/2 cups of flour - for breading sliced eggplant.
3 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons total of dried Italian herbs - oregano, basil, thyme and/or parsley.
1 cup of vegetable oil for frying - add more if needed, depending on size of pan.
1/4 cup of salt - for sweating eggplant.
Pepper to taste

Directions for Fried Eggplant
First slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick round slices. Salt each side and place on a pan with a rack for draining off liquid. The eggplant should "sweat" for about an hour to take out any bitterness. (If you're pressed for time, this step is optional.) Next rinse off eggplants and pat dry with paper towels.

Now time for frying.* Heat oil to medium/high (375 degrees). Oil should be about 1/2 inch deep in the frying pan. In one bowl whisk together 1/4 cup of milk and 3 eggs. On one plate spread out flour, and on another spread out bread crumbs. Mix dried herbs and pepper into flour and crumbs.

First dredge each side of an eggplant slice in flour, then coat each side in egg wash. Finally coat both sides of wet eggplant slice in breadcrumbs. Repeat flour, egg, and breadcrumb steps for enough eggplant slices to fill the pan of hot oil.

Add each coated slice carefully to the hot oil. After 3 - 5 minutes (you should see bottom sides of eggplant browning), turn over each one to brown the other side. When the first batch is done, remove from pan and place on a rack or plate with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Don't handle fried eggplant too much, so the tasty crust stays intact.

Repeat coating and frying eggplant rounds until they are all done and draining.

Directions for Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Empty softened ricotta cheese (that is at room temperature) into a large bowl, and add dried grated parmesan cheese, mixing well.

Into a large baking dish** (about 8 x 12 inches, and 2 inches deep) add a thin layer of tomato sauce, then half of the fried eggplant slices to cover the pan bottom. Next add half of the tomato sauce on eggplant slices and half of the ricotta/dried parmesan mix. For the next layer add the rest of the fried eggplant and top with most of the tomato sauce. Finally spread out the last of the ricotta and drizzle the rest of the tomato sauce on top. Now you can add a small package of shredded mozzarella or crumbled queso fresco cheese - optional.

Tomato sauce in assembled dish should not come all the way to the top, or the melting cheese and liquid from the eggplant will be too much, thus overflowing as it all heats. Just to be safe you can place a cookie sheet or a layer of tin foil on a rack underneath.

Now time to bake it. Cover Eggplant Parmesan in foil and bake at 375 degrees. After half an hour remove foil on pan and allow the cheesy top to brown for another 15 minutes.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then dig in!

*And if you must substitute baking for frying: bake the coated eggplant slices about 15 - 20 minutes each side, in a 375 degree oven until browned. Then build the dish using directions above.
 **If you do not have a large, deep baking pan, it's okay to work with a couple of smaller ones, just make one layer of fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and ricotta cheese. Reduce baking temperature to 350 degrees.