Baba Ghanoush (Moutabbal)

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 2 middle sized eggplants (aubergines),
• 3 tbsp tahini,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice,
• a pinch of salt,
• additional ingredients:
• get inspiration from the hummus recipe
• to try:
• walnuts
• pomegranate molasses 

Algorithm:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C, line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
2. Prick each eggplant with a fork several times and roast in the oven for 20--30 minutes while turning each 10 minutes; the eggplants should lose their shape (in my Remoska, it took ~1 hour without pre-heating). The skin should be burnt a bit.
3. Let the eggplants cool a little, scoop the pulp out, discard the skin, and let the pulp drain in a colander (at least 1 hour is recommended).
4. Mix all ingredients in a food processor.

Note: call the dish as you like, the name differs according to the region.

References:

• http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/07/baba-ganosh/
• http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/08/smoky-eggplant-dip/

Egyptian Lentil Soup

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 2 tbsp olive oil,
• 1 bigger (or 2 smaller) onion, cut into small cubes,
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed,
• 1 tsp cummin,
• 1 tsp turmeric,
• 2 middle-sized carrots, cut into small cubes,
• 1 large potato, cut into small cubes,
• 500 g red lentil,
• 1.5 l hot vegetable stock or water,
• sea salt,
• chili,
• black pepper.

Algorithm:

1. Heat the oil in a big enough pot, add the onion and stir-fry until it starts to caramelize.
2. Add the garlic, cummin, turmeric and stir fry for a minute.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients: vegetables and lentil. Pour the stock or water over, add salt and chilli.
4. Bring to boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 15--20 minutes, until the lentil is soft.
5. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup, season with salt and black pepper.
6. Serve with cilantro on top.

Source: http://kitchenette.cz/clanek/152-egyptska-cockova-polevka (czech)

The Ultimate Hummus Recipe

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 180 g dried chickpeas (or a 400 g can, drained with the water reserved),
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (for dried chickpeas),
• 3 tbsp tahini,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice,
• a pinch of salt,
• 1 tbsp water,
• additional ingredients (choose and mix wisely):
  1. sun-dried tomatoes and chili variation:
     • 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil,
     • 2 small white Habanero chili peppers cut into tiny pieces,
  2. soy sauce and cocoa variation:
     • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce,
     • 1 tsp cocoa powder,
  3. or, experiment with:
     • 1 avocado,
     • 100 g cannabis seeds,
     • 1 tsp ground cumin,
     • 1 tsp ground coriander,
     • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil,
     • 1/2 cup roasted red pepper,
     • 3 tsp wasabi (it differs a lot in the strength, so start with a smaller amount and increase according to your taste),
     • 1 tsp turmeric,
     • 2 tsp tandoori masala,
     • 3 tbsp miso paste,
• for sprinkling:
  • paprika,
  • sumac,
  • za'atar,
• for serving:
  • bread,
  • pita bread,
  • cucumber,
  • red/yellow/orange pepper,
  • carrot,
  • + extra virgin olive oil.

Algorithm:

1. If starting with dried chickpeas, either put the chickpeas with 0.75 tsp of baking soda and enough water (twice the height of the chickpea) into a cup for 24 hours, or germinate them for several days first.
2. Drain the chickpeas and put them with fresh water into a slow cooker. Add the rest (0.75 tsp) of baking soda and cook for 3 hours.
3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them into a blender. Blend for ~1:30 minute until smooth.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until super-smooth. Add water as the last ingredient and very carefully, use it just to control the final consistency (you are going for the consistency of a porridge).
5. Serve in a bowl, add extra virgin olive oil into a created depression and sprinkle with the topping. You may heat it up a little (less than a minute) in a microwave oven.