A summer dip worth gathering around with crackers, crudités

Don't be intimidated by the name of this dip or its signature ingredient of eggplant. Baba ganoush is a simply delicious dip to prepare: a smooth and nutrient-rich alternative to the ever-popular hummus.

I've made it so often through the years that I no longer use measurements or directions - I'm just on autopilot.

I had to dig back through the years and reach out to my friends to find the specifications of my original recipe.

Fortunately, it's been requested so often that it didn't take long to find a copy. In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, you can make a delicious lunch the next day: spread it on a pita stuffed with your favorite fresh veggies. Yum!

This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, sesame-free, low-carb and nut-free.

• Karen Nochimowski, the mom behind MommaChef.com, has loved cooking for as long as she can remember. After friends and family begged to be let in on her culinary secrets, she decided to create a blog featuring the easy, quick recipes that everyone loved. All Momma Chef recipes are made with 6 ingredients or less and take less than 6 minutes of prep time. Karen also started and runs Momma Chef's Soup Kitchen and Momma Chef's Little Free Pantry, which provides food at no cost to those in the Chicago community. Karen's first cookbook, "Six Minute Meals," coming November 2022, is a cookbook of 100 simple and delicious recipes with six ingredients or less, including nut-free and allergy-friendly options, to help busy families get dinner on the table with ease.

Simple Baba Ganoush

1 large eggplant

2 tablespoons (30 ml) mayonnaise

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and adjust a rack to the upper third of the oven.

Place the eggplant on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and, using a fork, prick the eggplant in several places.

Bake the eggplant uncovered for about 25 minutes on each side until it is very soft.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt.

Remove the eggplant from the oven, split it down the middle, and scrape out the flesh.

Add the eggplant flesh to the mayonnaise mixture, and stir well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to let flavors blend together.

Serves 6 to 8

Karen Nochimowski