Garlicky Hummus

What's a little garlic among friends is what I always say.....Actually, I only just started saying it after I tasted this stuff...and took it over to some neighbors and forced them to try it.



Personally, I am not a huge fan of chickpeas, so I have never been particularly drawn to hummus. But this stuff is good. Really good.

A friend of mine shared some moroccan spices that she bought with me, so that is what I sprinkled on top this time around. The original recipe calls for a sprinkling of paprika, but I would imagine that any spice you like would be a wonderful addition. The garlic is a great base. I am considering adding roasted red pepper and maybe some feta cheese....oregano....whatever. Hummus can be made a million different ways. Go crazy.



It's great on pita bread, but just dipping cucumbers straight in is my favorite combination.




Garlicky Hummus
adapted from Tyler Florence and Family Meal

1 15oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
5 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons boiling (or just really, really hot) water
a handful of chives, chopped
a sprinkle of paprika (or moroccan seasoning, or the herb of your choice)

Put the rinsed garbanzos, peeled garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice, salt and olive oil in a food processor and let 'er rip until they're all well combined and there aren't any large garbanzo chunks hiding in there. Then add the 2 tablespoons of hot water while pulsing a bit more until it's light and fluffy. After removing from the processor, add chives, paprika (or moroccan seasoning) and perhaps an added drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

This is perfect served with wedges of pita bread, on crackers, or just as a dip with veggies. Yum!!!

Note: I've made this a grand total of 3 times in the past couple weeks. The last time I made it (I doubled the recipe), I didn't realize that I goofed and bought 1 can of garbanzos and one can of great northern beans until I dumped both cans into the strainer to rinse.....oops. No matter. The white beans go perfectly, and the only difference was that the dip needed a little less water. The white beans have more moisture than garbanzos.

Additional Note: (in case you're worried...) I actually had an appointment to have my teeth cleaned the morning after eating a lot of this stuff. Needless to say, I was a little worried for the 'safety' of the dental hygenist. All was fine, and the only comment made to me was about how 'boring' my teeth are.

Tzatziki with Pita Chips

Tzatziki...... yum.



Cucumbers, garlic, sour cream and yogurt.....all working together to become the most wonderful tangy dip to go along with pita chips or just a piece of good, crusty bread.  I've even put it with chicken and veggies inside a pita before for a quick sandwich dinner. 



I lived in Greece for three years in my younger days, and let me tell you.....one taste of this, and I was back there, sitting outside at a restaurant we called 'Cheap Charlie's', with the cats and dogs running around between the tables, eating tzatziki, fried zucchini, and the most delicious souvlaki you have ever tasted in your entire life......yum.  It doesn't get much better than that.



Simple to put together, and a great appetizer for dinner with friends.  Something to take to the pool to snack on while the kids are swimming, or great for just a light snack around the house.

Tzatziki with Pita Chips
adapted from Ina Garten and foodnetwork.com

1 14oz container Greek yogurt
1 seedless cucumber, you don't have to peel it....
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Toasted Pita Crisps, recipe follows

Place the yogurt in a medium bowl. Grate the cucumber on a box grater.  Wrap grated cucumber in a dish towel (one that you don't mind getting stained, by the way), and then go find The Hulk, or use your superhuman strength to squeeze the grated cucumber with your hand to remove as much liquid as you can. Then, add the cucumber to the yogurt along with the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Serve with toasted pita crisps on the side. 


Pita Chips:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut pitas into desired number of wedges.  Spread out wedges on a large cookie sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle wedges with olive oil and then lightly brush olive oil over wedges.  Sprinkle wedges with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. 

Put pita wedges into the oven and bake about 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy.

Mediterranean Cucumber Dip

Can I say that I just love a recipe where everything goes into the food processor, and after a few pulses....... Voila!  Beautiful appetizer or snack to put out for a visit with friends.  Can't beat that.

I whipped this up after seeing it on 'Spice and Easy' on the Food Network one weekend.  It went with me to a cookout, and all I have to say is that it did not return to my house.  Big hit.



Recipe adapted from Janet Johnston and foodnetwork.com

8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 red bell pepper seeded and chopped, plus 1/4, for garnish
1 lemon, zested
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoon dried Mediterranean oregano
4 teaspoons chopped mint leaves
2 seedless cucumbers, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

Put the goat cheese, yogurt, red bell pepper, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and the mint in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Serve alongside sliced cucumbers for dipping.

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey

I have something very important to tell you.....



Gorgonzola cheese, honey, and crunchy italian bread.......



they go together so wonderfully.

This is the simplest appetizer.  And for such a simple appetizer, it makes an elegant presentation. It'll be a hit.  I promise.

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

36 slices (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread, about 1 loaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced
3 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Drizzle the toasts with honey. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Spiced Cocktail Nuts

A little more than just a bowl of nuts out on the table......



Spiced Cocktail Nuts

What's on these nuts?.....oh, just about everything in the spice rack.... and they have a sneak attack spicy bite to them. They would be perfect for guests to snack on if you're having company over, and were an absolute cinch to make. If you like curry, you'll like these.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

parchment paper
2 egg whites
2 cups roasted and salted almonds
2 cups roasted and salted cashew nuts
2 cups walnut halves
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the nuts and stir until coated. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, curry powder, cumin, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the nuts and toss until coated. Arrange the nuts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake for 45 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool for 1 hour.

Using a spatula, remove the nuts from the baking sheet. Break the nuts into bite- sized pieces and place in a big serving dish.

Warm Tomato and Corn Salad

This is from Rachael Ray, and always gets many compliments and requests for the recipe whenever I take it somewhere. A wonderful mix of corn, beans, peppers and a surprise kick. It works very well as either a side for fish or chicken, or just with some tortilla chips as a dip. Try it. You'll like it.

Warm Tomato and Corn Salad
adapted from Rachael Ray and foodnetwork.com

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small green or orange bell pepper, chopped
4 scallions, chopped, whites and greens
3 cloves chopped garlic cloves
1 small bag of frozen corn
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used Rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro), pour off liquid before adding
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ripe lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, eyeball it
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, recommended: Tabasco, eyeball it
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, eyeball it

Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley leaves, to garnish

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, peppers, scallions and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add corn to the pan and allow the liquids from frozen corn to cook out, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and black beans to the pan and the juice of 1 lime. Throw the lime halves right into the pan with the veggies, it will really punch up the flavor. Season with cumin, cayenne sauce, paprika, salt and pepper. Top with cilantro or parsley and transfer the warm salad to a serving dish.