Ah, eggplant! That gorgeous globe of a vegetable – shaded in the beautiful color of deep purple – my daughter’s favorite color….but not any of my daughters’ favorite vegetable. In fact, eggplant is one of the few veggies for which we still have the one-bite rule.
“Yes, you need to take just one bite (no matter how small) of eggplant.”
I’ve tried it with noodles, breaded and baked into “fries” and even into eggplant mini pizza bites…to no avail.
Until now.
This pizza recipe had them asking for “more eggplant please!”
I actually followed this simple Mediterranean-influenced recipe for Ground Lamb and Hummus Pita “Pizzas” from Cooking Light, but instead of using hummus as the sauce for the ‘pizza,’ I made the classic Greek eggplant dip baba ganoush. I also used more kid-sized ‘sandwich rounds‘ instead of pita breads. And venison (from my freezer) is a classic substitution for lamb, but ground beef or turkey/chicken would work too.
So to (hopefully) get your kids or husband or anyone to enjoy eggplant, try this Cooking Light recipe but instead of hummus, use my version of eggplant baba ganoush below. (Yes, in case you’re wondering, peanut butter is a delicious and kid-friendly sub for the classic tahini.)
PrintBaba Ghanoush for Individual Greek Pizzas
- Yield: About 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 3–4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Pierce eggplant several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cut eggplant in half. Scoop out pulp and roughly chop; discard skins.
- Place eggplant and remaining ingredients in a food processor; pulse until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-3 tablespoons
Do you like eggplant? How do you cook eggplant to get your family…or yourself to eat it?
Anne|Craving Something Healthy
Wednesday 18th of September 2013
So impressed you got your little ones to eat eggplant! It's definitely a "grown up veggie". These look delicious.
EA Stewart
Tuesday 17th of September 2013
Love Baba Ganoush, and glad you got your kiddos to eat it :-). Ever since I made my pizza with grilled eggplant, I've been eating a lot more of it than I used too. I have the exact same kitchen towel BTW-first thing I noticed when I saw your post :-)
Serena
Wednesday 18th of September 2013
You have good towel taste! And I gotta make pizza w/ grilled eggplant for ME. I still have a few left.
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies
Tuesday 17th of September 2013
It took a long time for eggplant to win my boyfriend's heart, but I think if I put this on a pizza, he would've come around much faster! This sounds delicious.
Serena
Tuesday 17th of September 2013
What is it about that veggie Sarah? A texture thing for a lot of people? Because they are so pretty, surely it isn't looks! (:
Joanne
Tuesday 17th of September 2013
When desperate...make pizza! Pretty good words to live by when it comes to kids. Plus, I wouldn't mind eating a few of these!
Serena
Tuesday 17th of September 2013
How'd you know Joanne. All I have to do is say 'pizza' and the kids are excited...but they do know me well enough to know pizza doesn't just mean Canadian bacon & cheese!
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
Monday 16th of September 2013
I adore eggplant. I love it chargrilled and doused with olive oil - not the healthiest, but so delicious. these look great too!