Eggplant, roasted in an oven or on a barbecue grill, is the basis of Greek and Middle Eastern dips and spreads, such as baba gannoush.

Difficulty Level: Easy Time Required: 1 hour

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Here's How:

1. Wash and dry a medium or large eggplant.

2. Cut off stem end. Pierce eggplant skin with a long fork to prevent eggplant from bursting while roasting.

3. If oven roasting, place eggplant in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake in the middle of a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, turning eggplant occasionally to roast evenly. Remove from oven when eggplant has become very soft.

4. If grilling, place eggplant directly on grill rack. Grill for 25-35 minutes, turning frequently to grill evenly. Remove from grill when eggplant has become very soft.

5. Set roasted eggplant aside to cool.

6. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard eggplant skin. Chop or blend cooked eggplant pulp to use in recipes.

Tips:

1. Cooking times will vary according to the size of the eggplant and temperature of your grill or oven.

2. Roasting the eggplant on a grill intensifies the smokey flavor you want for traditional dips.

3. Mix the eggplant puree with yogurt and herbs to create a simple dip or sauce.