EGGPLANT PESTO

EGGPLANT PESTO image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 10

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2 large Italian or other type of Eggplant
5 large garlic cloves
small handful parsley - stems removed
1 Tbsp. lemon juice - fresh squeezed
1/3 c. pine nuts - toasted in a small skillet
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese - fresh grated
1 tsp. cumin - toasted and crushed cumin seeds are best!!
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 pomegranate seeds (optional) - I'll try using them when I make this again!

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare the eggplant by poking a few holes in each with a knife and placing them whole in a small roasting plan to just fit them. In the same roasting pan, take the garlic cloves and place them in a small square of aluminum foil and drizzle a touch of olive oil on them. Wrap the cloves up in the foil and place in the roasting pan alongside the eggplant. Place in the oven and roast for around 45 minutes to an hour, or until the eggplant's skin is wrinkled and the insides are soft. Once the eggplant is done, remove it from the oven and unwrap the garlic from the foil. Peel the garlic from its skins and place the soft cloves in your food processor. Once the eggplant has cooled enough to touch, peel the skin off (if should peel off easily), chop it roughly and place in the food processor too. Add the parsley, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan and salt and pepper and blend the ingredients together until almost smooth. Stop the food pro and add in the cumin and more salt and pepper as needed. Serve on top or under a good protein like salmon or halibut or alongside home made pita chips. I decided to serve it with pan roasted salmon and parsley oil, which really enhanced the flavor of the eggplant.