Posts Tagged ‘appetizer’

October 10, 2010 1

pomegranate and potato salad

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It’s pomegranate season, but I’m still clinging to summery side dishes like mayonnaise-based potato salads.  So why not combine the two?  Pomegranate adds a nice sweet and tart kick to this salad.  If you’re not a big mayonnaise fan (growing up I thought I hated mayonnaise, but it turns out I was eating Miracle Whip), substitute with creme fraiche, sour cream, or even Greek yogurt.  And feel free to experiment with using different herbs.  My current herb obsession consists of adding parsley, mint, and dill to just about every savory dish I make, including this salad.

pomegranate and potato salad

Pomegranate and Potato Salad
(adapted from AZ Cookbook)
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1 1/2 cups potatoes, boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces
arils from one large pomegranate
1 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped (any of the following: parsley, dill, cilantro, tarragon, and mint)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or sour cream or creme fraiche)
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil potatoes until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and gently rinse and drain potatoes in a colander. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Extract the seeds from the pomegranate, chop the onion, and the herbs. Mix together all the ingredients into a bowl, and fold in the mayonnaise (or sour cream and creme fraiche). By now, the potatoes should be cool enough to handle, chop them into bite-sized pieces and mix them into the bowl. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve.

Serves 4, as a side dish

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September 28, 2010 1

sweet curried chicken salad in radicchio cups

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It’s not everyday that radicchio di Treviso – a long, elongated radicchio shaped like Belgian endive – shows up at my local produce market.  I was originally drawn to the radicchio not only for its shape, but also for its exquisite magenta color.  Radicchio doesn’t make its way into my diet very often.  I usually only ever have it in thin strips, when it comes in packaged salads.  If you’re unfamiliar with radicchio, keep in mind that it’s bitter and a bit of an acquired taste.  To contrast its bitterness, I made a sweet curried chicken salad and served it in radicchio “cups”.  The salad is sweetened with mango puree, so it doesn’t need any added sweeteners – so like as you’re using a ripe mango.  Not a mango that slightly gives to the touch, but a very soft melt-in-your-mouth sort of mango.

Sweet Curried Chicken Salad in Radicchio Cups
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salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 chicken breasts, shredded or chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped (I used a mix of parsley, cilantro, and basil)
1/4 cup almonds (or cashews), chopped
1/4 cup (very ripe) mango, pureed in food processor or blender
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons curry powder
cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
more salt & pepper, to taste

1 head of radicchio rosso di Treviso, about 12 torn leaves rinsed and patted dry (Belgian endive would also be a good substitute)

Rinse and pat dry chicken, cut off any excess fat.  If the breast is really thick, cut in half width-wise.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, when hot add the chicken and saute on both sides until cooked through (about three minutes on each side).  Transfer the chicken to paper-towel lined plates and set aside.

Meanwhile, gently mix together the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it or chop it into bite sized pieces.  Fold the chicken into the bowl, season the salad to taste, and serve in radicchio “cups” or on its own.

Serves 4-5

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July 28, 2010 5

hummus with roasted garlic and fresh herbs

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Some people have their favorite recipes and stick to them forever. When I talk to my dad and he tells me he’s making squash or chicken for dinner, I know exactly what he’s talking about. I try keep things constantly changing in the kitchen, but there are a few recipes I rarely ever stray from – mujaddara, for example. As much as I love the traditional hummus bi tahina (hummus with tahini), I’m constantly looking for new ways to reinvent it. I’ve been accused of being a hummus purist and even a snob, but that’s simply not true. I’ve just made it a personal mission to inform people that hummus means “chickpeas” in Arabic.  It’s silly to call beet hummus, white bean hummus, edamame hummus, lima bean hummus, etc. hummus if the recipes don’t contain chickpeas. If you see a crazy lady rocking back and forth at a bus stop in San Francisco mumbling under her breath, “hummus means chickpeas in Arabic…” That’s me. Feel free to say hi.

Usually when I prepare hummus, I use canned garbanzo beans and simmer them in a saucepan with some water for 15-20 minutes. I find that this method helps the beans blend easier and improves the texture of the hummus. Plus, I love popping a few garbanzo beans into my mouth. They’re melt-in-your mouth delicious after simmering for 15 minutes or so. There are Syrian grandmothers who swear by soaking the garbanzos overnight and discarding the skins of the beans for the creamiest hummus possible, but I’ll leave that time consuming method to the experts (grandmothers, that is).

I’ve been on a garlic roasting kick lately. I’d say we’re going through 3 to 4 bulbs of garlic a week… and I have the breath to prove it. I’ve been adding roasted garlic to everything. Potatoes, toast, salad dressings, and now hummus. Apparently, there is such a thing as too much raw garlic. Not really for me, but for Cory. So I added roasted garlic to this batch of hummus. With roasted garlic, you get the garlic taste without at all being overpowering. The fresh herbs add a nice kick and a lovely pale green color.

Hummus with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
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1 bulb of garlic, roasted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained plus 1 cup of reserved water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (roasted is best, but raw is fine)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnishing
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the top of the garlic bulb open, revealing the tips of the cloves. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle a teaspoon of oil over it. Wrap the bulb in the aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the hummus. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Toss the garbanzos into a small sauce pan with a cup of water and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside. Juice lemons, set aside tahini, and chop the herbs. Add the lemon juice, chives, parsley, salt, and a ladleful of garbanzos with some reserved water. Pulse together in a food processor or blender. Continue adding garbanzos a ladleful at a time and blending, adding more water until needed. Continue this method until all the garbanzos have been blended.

By now, the garlic should be ready. Open up the foil and let the garlic cool until easy enough to handle with your hands. Pop the cloves out of the bulb into a small bowl. Take a fork and smash the garlic until formed into a paste. Toss the paste into the blender and pulse until thoroughly blended. Transfer the hummus to a large bowl. Add the tahini to the bowl and mix thoroughly, this will thicken the hummus considerably. Taste the hummus, adding a couple more pinches of salt or lemon juice, if needed.

Serve with warm flat bread, pita chips, or your favorite raw vegetables. Garnish with olive oil, extra freshly chopped herbs, and spices (thyme, sumac, za’atar, paprika, etc).

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July 24, 2010 3

tomatillo salsa verde

By in back to the basics, recipes

I used to think tomatillos were something that existed only in legend and myth. Okay, not really, but it certainly felt that way when I lived in Michigan. Tomatillos are related to tomatoes and are about the size of apricots. They mature inside of a papery husk, which are inedible and should be removed before eating. They are also meatier than tomatoes and have a tart flavor. Tomatillos are the key ingredient to salsa verde (literally, green sauce), which is frequently used as a dip for tortilla chips, a sauce for tacos, grilled meats, and fish. I used this batch of salsa verde to accompany both tacos and burritos, but I’m already thinking of various ways to use the leftovers (pork! chili! stew!).

Oh, and here are two chubby corgis wearing sunglasses and ties. Just because.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde
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1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
1/2 onion
1-3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro
1-3 peppers (jalapeño and serrano peppers are usually used, but I had anaheim peppers on hand, so I just used those), chopped. Leave in the seeds, if you prefer a hotter salsa.
pinch of sugar
pinch of cumin
salt, to taste

Set the oven to broil and cut tomatillos in half. Place them cut-side down in a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the skins are lightly blackened. Remove tomatillos from the oven and set aside.

When the tomatillos are cool enough to handle, toss them into a food blender and pulse until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients, onions, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, peppers, sugar, cumin, and salt. Pulse until blended. Add a little more salt, if necessary. Transfer to a container and refrigerate, if not using right away.

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June 23, 2010 0

meatballs with tzatziki

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Since making gyros a couple weeks ago, I’ve had tzatziki on my mind. The problem is, we never have Greek yogurt on hand for very long because I eat it all by the spoonful straight from the container almost right away (yeah, I’m a barbarian. So what?). I knew that if I were going to make meatballs with tzatziki it would have to be right away, or the yogurt would be consumed in less than 48 hours. I tweaked my basic meatball recipe to include lots of fresh parsley and some dried oregano and the results were fantastic. I used to think the addition of bread and milk to meatballs were just there for filler, but they also keep the meatballs fluffy and tender. I served these with a green salad and we ate them for dinner, but they would make a great appetizer as well.

Meatballs with Tzatziki
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1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 ground pork)
1 small onion, finely diced
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs or 1 slice of day old bread (crust removed), cut into small pieces
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
at least 3/4 cup of tzatziki, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk. Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, and parsley. Beat an egg in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet, when hot add the onions and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

Add the ground meat, onion, garlic, beaten egg, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper to the large bowl and mix thoroughly by hand. Form the meatballs into the size of golf balls. If the mixture is too wet, add more bread or breadcrumbs. Place the meatballs on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet lightly brushed with oil. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until meatballs are slightly browned and no longer pink in the center. Serve hot, with a generous amount of tzatziki.

Serves 3-4

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