Meatless Monday: Beluga Lentil Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 cup raw black beluga lentils, rinsed
• 4 cups of water with 1tsp of salt
• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (not the bottled stuff, please!!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1 medium pomegranate)
• 1 loaf of crusty whole grain country bread or your bread of choice

Instructions

1. 1

   Pre-heat oven to broil 550F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum or parchment paper

2. 2

   Poke the eggplant on all sides with a knife about 20-30 times (depending on the size) and place it on the lined baking sheet. Broil for 30 minutes on each side

3. 3

   In the meantime bring salted water to a boil. Add rinsed lentils and cook for 20 minutes on high (the lentils will still be al dente)

4. 4

   Remove eggplant from the oven and let it sit until cool enough to handle (about 20 minutes). Cut in half and with the help of a spoon, scoop out ALL the flesh, discarding the skin

5. 5

   Place eggplant in a colander, with a bowl underneath, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Discard any drained liquid.

6. 6

   Place eggplant in a large glass bowl. Mash it with a fork, and mix in tahini, lemon juice and salt until well incorporated.

7. 7

   Then add sesame seeds, pomegranate seeds, parsley and 1 1/4 cups of cooked lentils and gently mix all the ingredients together.

8. 8

   Serve over toasted crusty wholegrain bread