I love love love roast veggies, especially eggplant and zucchini. Usually I keep the veg plain to make a ratatouille but was inspired the other day to try some Lebanese spicing and serve on a bed of hummus.
Baharat is a Lebanese spice blend I use all the time. It's worth ordering some from a specialist spice merchant but if you don't have any you know I've got you covered in the variations below ;)
enough for: 2
takes: 40 minutes
2 medium eggplant
3 small zucchini
2 teaspoons baharat spice blend or 1 teaspoon each coriander and cumin
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
300g (9oz) hummus
salad greens, to serve
1. Preheat your oven to 250C (480F). Chop eggplant and zucchini into 1 inch chunks (2.5cm). Toss eggplant, zucchini, spices and oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring about half way. Or until eggplant and zucchini are well cooked and starting to brown.
3. Divide hummus between 2 plates. Top with roast veg and salad leaves.
Variations
no baharat - use 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika will work as a spanish alternative. Or use another spice blend like berbre spice or the Moroccan spice blend 'Ras el Hanout'
low carb / no hummus / Paleo - use my Quick Cauli Hummus or replace with Tahini Yoghurt Sauce by mixing 150g (5oz) each tahini and natural yoghurt. Or just serve with a big dollop of mayo and some roast nuts instead.
more substantial - use more hummus or serve with roast almonds or other nuts. Also see the carnivore option. Or toss in cooked chickpeas or lentils.
carnivore - add chorizo, bacon, sausages or chopped chicken thigh or breast fillets to roast with the veg.
carb-lovers - serve with cooked rice, quinoa or couscous. Or serve with warm flat bread or tortillas.
different veg - onion, capsicum (bell peppers), mushrooms, tomato (fresh or canned), cauliflower, broccoli.
herby - use coriander (cilantro), mint or parsley instead of the salad leaves.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
eggplant – will keep for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer, sliced and rub with oil and grill until soft and browned. Can be frozen if needed.
zucchini – will keep for 2 weeks or longer in a plastic bag in the fridge. To keep it even longer, cook sliced zucchini in a little butter until just soft then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
baharat / coriander / cumin / extra virgin olive oil - keep them in the pantry.
hummus – will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Can be frozen.
salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.
