Heavenly Hummus- Rosemary and Lemon and "Turkish" Delight

Yottam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi developed what I think is the most fabulous series of books on food. These books are so much more than "cookbooks", they are spectacular... you almost want to eat them. In fact, our dog actually tried. In particular, there is an inspiring Forward in the " Jerusalem" book that will lead you to really appreciate hummus and its origins! There are millions of versions of Hummus depending on geography. No matter which hummus I make, it's always served with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper.

Here are a couple of my faves:


Rosemary and Lemon Hummus- in a food processor, blend 1 can of drained and washed chickpeas with about 1/4 cup + of Tahini. Add 1 small clove of garlic. Drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil. Add the zest from 1 lemon, juice of half a lemon, a small handful of fresh rosemary leaves, a few good shakes of ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Blend for a while until smooth...taste as you go in order to adjust seasoning. If thick...add a bit of water or more oil until nice and smooth.






Turkish Hummus- we ate so much hummus in Turkey, and it always tasted different. When we try to re-create what we remember, the intensity and richness of the nutty chickpea flavour is pure Turkish delight. The KEY is a grittier texture and the use of very little tahini than most hummus recipes.


So, for this version of hummus, use fresh chickpeas. Soak 1 cup of chickpeas overnight and then boil for about 1 hour or until soft, may take a while.  Reserve some of the cooking water or "zumi".  Blend the chickpeas and add a bit of Tahini just to get the taste in there, maybe a couple of tbsp.  Add salt and pepper, 1 clove of garlic, some ground cumin and lemon juice. Use the cooking water "zumi" to get the blend going and taste as you go.  Don't over mix. It will be thicker than what you may be used to with a nuttier flavour. A garnish of fresh coriander is great with this one. Divine!!!

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Fantastic Fish Tacos with Homemade Sides

I remember the first time I ever had a fish taco.  It was nirvana. Ever since, I have re-created this yummy thing in various way and just love the brightness of fish tacos full of warm Mexican/Mediterranean flavours and the freshness of everything that goes along with them.


You'll need some whole wheat, multigrain or soft corn tortillas simply because they taste so much better than the white ones- refined flour mush type...yuk.


I like to use a firm white fish such as bass, haddock, or any of your similar faves. Season the filets with salt, pepper, paprika, ( I put paprika in just about everything) ground cumin, dried oregano and chili powder.  If you can find it in a Latino grocery store...add some "Tajin"- a tangy lime and chili spice mix, out of this world!


In a non stick pan, sauté the fish in a bit of canola or grape seed oil that can tolerate higher heat. I also like to add a dab of butter in order to get that crusty slightly seared thing going on.  Flip the fish and cook for a few more minutes until the sides become somewhat opaque. Either finish in the oven for a few minutes or cover the pan on the stove for about 5 minutes.  That's it!


Now for the sides...


Chopped crispy lettuce or Homemade coleslaw- finely sliced cabbage of any kind and colour, shredded carrot and finely sliced red onion.  Add some shredded green apple if you have it...delish. Keep it simple.  Dressing: mix about a 1/4 cup of mayo, same of Greek yogurt, big tsp. of Dijon, splash of apple cider vinegar, couple of drops of Worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of agave, maple syrup or honey to taste for a hint of sweetness. Salt and pepper. Whisk together and fold in the slaw.


Slices of ripe avocado are delicious or make Laura's Authentic Mexican Guacamole: 3 large avocados mashed with a bit of olive oil for smooth and emulsified texture, 1 small seeded and diced tomato, 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper ( with or without seeds depending on your spicy taste buds) a handful of finely diced red onion and chopped cilantro...lots!  NO LIME, NO GARLIC...and this, authentically Mexican.

Punchy Pineapple Salsa!

Diced pineapple. Diced jalapeño pepper. Red onion. Cilantro. Lime juice. Salt. 


Try Rosemary and Lemon Hummus (see post)


Lay out all of the sides and build your own taco. You will make these over and over again and find all kinds of ways to experiment

It's a fun meal!

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Fancy Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp

Mom creates culinary beauty and taste with the simplest of ingredients...everything is always lovely on her table. This fresh and light recipe is beautifully presented as either an appetizer or lunch. 

You will need 6 tomatoes: the KEY is to turn the tomato upside down and lop off the top of the bottom end, Scoop out the middle. This way they will sit up better with the stuffing. Keep the top for later.

Prepare the shrimp filling:

1 1/2 cups of small shrimp. Either fresh or thawed from frozen will work. Wash and towel dry well.

In the bowl of shrimp squeeze in some lemon juice and then add:

Finely chopped shallots, chopped celery, parsley, 1 tsp. ketchup and 1 tbsp. mayo to coat the shrimps.

Fill the tomatoes and top each one with the cut out piece of the tomato.  Garnish with fresh basil.

Arrange the tomatoes on a nice tray on a bed of lettuce,. Slice a few cucumbers and add some kalamata olives. Also add slices of avocado and slices of feta cheese (optional)  Endives are a nice garnish too.

This dish can be made with chicken salad or tuna. Do not put the ketchup with these though. In the chicken salad add some dill. Capers are great with tuna. Don't forget the lemon juice!

 

 

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World's Best Galaktobouriko made by Mom

If there is one dish for which my Mom is world famous, this is it.  Galaktobouriko...a refined Greek dessert when well made. No honey here, no thick filo!  This is Mom's true blue recipe, more delicious than any other dessert you will ever eat. (except maybe for Mom's Swedish Cream...saved for another post!) 


1. 5 to 2 lbs. filo (try to find fresh or thaw frozen, 1 package is 1 lbs.)

3/4 cup sweet melted butter

4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cream of wheat

1/2 tsp almond extract 

1 tsp vanilla

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Amoretto liquor (optional)

piece of lemon wedge

 

Method:

In a saucepan heat milk, add sugar, cream of wheat and a piece of lemon wedge.

Stir continually until thickened.

Add: vanilla and almond extract

Remove lemon wedge and let mixture cool entirely. This can be made the day before.

When cooled add slightly beaten egg yolks, 1/3 cup melted butter and Amoretto (opt)

Mix well...

 

Butter each piece of filo and fold in1/2. Then, cut in half. 1 filo makes 2 individual pieces of Galaktobouriko.  You may need almost 2 lbs . of filo for this recipe.

Put 2 tablespoons of filling on each piece of filo. Then, fold first from the bottom and then fold in sides and continue to roll until the piece is closed. (see photo) 

Brush the top of each piece with melted butter and place in ta upperware. Arrange side by side and keep frozen.

 

Syrup: in a saucepan...

2 cups sugar

2 cups water 1/4 of lemon

1 cinnamon stick

Boil for about 20 min (must be a little thick) Cool and store in a jar in the fridge with the lemon and cinnamon. Use as needed.


To assemble the dessert, take out as many pieces as you want and bake them from frozen at 350 degrees until golden and well done, about 1/2 hour.  


Pour about 2 tablespoons of the cold syrup on hot galactobouriko and sprinkle cinnamon on top, also some ground pistachios are delicious.


This is a fabulous dessert that will allow you to become world famous too!

 

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Delish Spelt and Buttermilk Quick Bread

I used to make this bread a long time ago and it resurfaced while looking at some of my older recipe logs. So, I'm reviving it...this is a surprisingly delicious bread that is ready to eat in about 30 minutes.  It's especially good and moist considering that here is no butter or oil...the KEY is the nutty flavor imparted by the spelt flour and all of the crunchy seeds.  This is again becoming our favorite last minute go-to bread, and super healthy.


Preheat oven to 400F

Combine:
1½ cups whole spelt flour

½ cup rolled oats

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup + 1 tbsp mixed seeds ( I use way more, love the crunchy factor)

Add 1 cup buttermilk ( just make your own, 1 cup low fat milk and 1 tbsp. of lemon juice or white vinegar...let it sit for 5-10 minutes)


Remember not to over mix. Add the buttermilk and gently stir until well combined. Also, use a variety of seeds. I always include lots of toasted sesame seeds and then whatever I may have...raw pumpkin seeds, toasted sunflower seeds, poppy and chia seeds etc.


Sprinkle some seeds on top of the bread before it goes into the oven for 30 minutes.  Don't overcook!


Then, next time, experiment. The photo has kalamata olives and sun dried tomatoes. I have added dried herbs (thyme, rosemary etc.), nuts (toasted pecans, almonds), dried fruit (cranberry, dates, currents, raisins) all delish!


This bread is so good! You'll be on a kick making it often once you start

 

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Vij’s Chicken Curry

There are certain comfort foods that we just can’t veer from, even when we try.  I’ll start off thinking that some kind of a curry would be delicious tonight for dinner...look at myriad recipes and then just make Vij’s curry again...and again, and again. Thank you Vikram Vij- the great Canadian chef. This curry is a staple in our kitchen and once you savor it, you’ll know why. Let’s not even talk about the spectacular aroma. I confess, a pot of this curry is cooking as I write this post...

 

Lots of prep...

Dice 2 large onions

1 cinnamon stick

Get that going in a large pot with some canola oil, a “ Crueset” or Dutch oven is best. Sauté until just golden- I promise, the best aroma begins right here!

 

Prep and keep separately:

Chop or grate 3 tbsp of garlic, 2 tbsp of ginger, and dice 2 large tomatoes

 

Prepare spices in 1 small bowl:

¾ tbsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp garam masala ( try making your own some day....amazing!)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

 

So, once the onions are done, add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add ginger and all of the spice mixture. Combine well, and then add the tomatoes.  Let this “masala” mixture cook for a few minutes until you see the oil separating in the pot...the house now smells divine!

 

Add chicken thighs.  I use the skinless de-boned ones, approx 8 will do and cut in pieces is even better.

Let this simmer on a low temp with the lid on the pot for about 10 minutes so the chicken cooks through. Once done, add 2 cups of water (I always add a bit of chicken stock) and 1 cup of sour cream, low fat works fine. (Greek yogurt is good in this dish if you want a substitute)

 

This needs to simmer for a while, say 40 minutes or so.  Funny that Vij’s recipe says it’s ready at this point when it never is.  Almost at the end, I usually add a slurry of cornstarch ( so 1 tbsp of cornstarch diluted in a tiny bit of water) so the sauce thickens a bit. Serve with basmati rice cooked in water scented with cardamom seeds and 1 bay leaf, and freshly chopped cilantro.  A good dollop of Greek yogurt is always delicious on the plate with a side of green peas!  I love a buttery glass of Chardonnay with this but a fruity red works great too.  It’s a lip smacker!!

 

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Baked Rigatoni with Sausage, Mushrooms and Spinach

So many baked pasta dishes can turn out overly soggy or too dry only because the proportion of various ingredients doesn’t always work out the way we hoped.  This recipe is by far the best baked pasta dish and the KEY is the unique sauciness.  The TWIST is in the 2 sauces that make this dish better than the rest.   A lot of steps but totally worth the elegant outcome! By the way, don’t calorie-count on this one.  It’s rich as it should be.

 

Plan to use 2.5 qt Corning ware if you have one or a 9 by 13 inch pan- feeds 4-5 people.  I like using a deep pan so lots of room for the sauce to move around.

 

There are 4 steps to preparing this dish. You will make 2 sauces, sauté the veggies and cook the pasta all before assembling.

 

Sauté 3 Italian sausages in a bit of olive oil, out of the casing until crumbly and cooked

Sauté 2 packages of sliced mushrooms until golden brown, use a bit of butter and oil (any kind works)

Use 1 package of frozen spinach, thaw and drain water as much as you can. I usually push down on a sieve with the back of a spoon. No need to cook this

 

Cook the rigatoni al dente and set aside.  Actually any nice “airy” pasta works.  The sauce needs place to go...

 

Make a luscious cheesy béchamel sauce...actually a Mornay sauce if you want to be fancy.  The KEY is to use equal parts of everything.  So, in a medium size pot...

Melt 2 tbsp of butter until bubbling and almost golden

Add 2 heaping tbsp of white flour and stir until it combines. Will be dry-ish

Add 2 cups of warmed milk and stir with a whisk until you bring it to a soft boil, it should be silky and thickened

Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1 cup of another strong cheese, ex: strong cheddar or gruyere until melted. Set aside.

 

Make a simple tomato and garlic sauce by using just a ½ can of diced tomatoes. Saute 3 minced cloves of garlic in olive oil. Add a few chili flakes. Then add tomatoes and any herbs you like...oregano and/or thyme work best to my taste.  Crush down the sauce with a potato masher for the right consistency. That’s it.  It doesn’t need to cook any longer.

 

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, assemble all the ingredients except the tomato sauce. Then pour the mixture into the cooking dish.  With a big spoon, drop mounds of tomato sauce on top of the pasta and don’t mix. Then, cover the top of the pasta with grated Gouda and mozzarella cheese.  More Gouda than mozz...gives a great flavour.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until it all bubbles and is browned nicely on top.  This dish is so fabulous paired with a nice “big” red wine.  You’ll need it after washing all those pots and pans!

 

 

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Roasted Butternut Baked Pasta

A foil pan!? YES, a meal to go...

There is an addictive sweet and savoury aspect to this dish that’s hard to deny despite the fact that it is another rich and creamy pasta dish. This is a “one-two-three” recipe, easy and pretty quick to prepare.  A nice big Pyrex or Corning ware pan is needed although I often make this "to go" for my veggie son as is evident by the foil pan! 


Cook any “airy” pasta and set aside- rigatoni, medium shells, any pasta with holes.

 

In a 400 degree oven, roast 1 cubed Butternut squash for about 45 minutes. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and the TWIST, grated nutmeg and fresh thyme.  This can be done well in advance. You can turn the pieces after 20 minutes so all sides caramelize. Set aside.

 

In the cooking pan, pour in the pasta, cover with about 1 cup of 15% or 35% cream, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and about ½ cup of either chicken or vegetable stock. Shake around the pan so everything settles. Top with the roasted squash.  Cover with mozz and gruyere cheese. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and then bake for about 45 minutes in 350 degree oven.

 

It’s dreamy!

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Roasted Veggies with Orzo

So simple to make, it’s almost not really cooking! A great side dish nonetheless.  You can use any vegetables you may have, really.  There is no set combination, but of course, I always veer to the Med flavours so here’s my version with Israeli couscous or orzo pasta.

 

Generously drizzle chunks of veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Either roast the veggies in the oven at 375 degrees until done ( takes a bit longer than you think) or grill on the BBQ.  Either way, let the veggies rest in a big bowl so the “zumi” flows, (the juices) which is essential for the flavour of this dish.  I like the combo of red peppers, eggplant, zucchini and red onion.  Also fun with cauliflower (so fabulous when roasted and caramelized) and cherry tomatoes.

 

The KEY is to combine the cooked HOT pasta with HOT veggies.  I also like to add a bit of chicken stock when I cook the pasta.  Try to have more veggies than pasta for a good ratio.  Once put together, add a bit of olive oil, lemon zest and fresh parsley. Top with loads, but loads of parmesan slivers or crumbled feta cheese ( if you can eat that stuff!)

 

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Spicy Mediterranean Couscous Salad

I suppose this has become a signature salad in our home, especially in the summer.  I’ve made it so many times I quit counting.  There is something exotic and refreshing about these Mediterranean flavours with an orangy twist.  The spice, saffron and orange combo is fabulous.

 

In a small pot, boil 2 cups of water scented with the following:

1 ½ tsp of paprika

A good squeeze of Harissa sauce, or a few drops of Tabasco (or any hot chili sauce you like)

A hit of chicken or vegetable stock, Bovril is good

A pinch of saffron

 

In a large pan, sauté 1 large diced onion and 1 diced red pepper in some olive oil. Once soft, pour in 1 cup of couscous and toast the mixture for a couple of minutes.  Then, pour in the boiling water slowly and cover the pan tightly for about 8-10 minutes.  The couscous will be light and fluffy once it has absorbed all of the sauce ( the zumi!)  Then, cool the couscous.

 

In the meantime prepare a few more flavour enhancers- chop 2-3 large scallions including the greens. Rough chop a bunch of parsley. Toast a big handful of almond slivers and zest 1 orange. Add a big handful of dried cranberries. Combine all of this into the cooled salad.  It’s such a beautiful pop of color. Then make a quick dressing of olive oil and the juice of the zested orange. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

 

If you make this salad in advance, which is always a good idea so that flavours meld, add the almonds just before serving, otherwise they get soggy.  This salad is so delicious and also pretty.

 

                               

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Gorgeous Garlic Bread

This bread concoction is like Italian "candy". I like to use a ciabatta baguette because it is airy with lots of pockets to capture flavor. This is for sure one of our family’s favorite indulgence and goes with anything Italian.  When I say “and I have garlic bread with that...” my kids flip- the whole meal just went up a notch!

 

Slice the baguette lengthwise.  Place the 2 halves side by side on a large piece of foil so the loaf can be easily closed back up and wrapped for baking.  Both halves of the bread will be loaded with stuff...

 

On both sides of the bare loaf, sprinkle some paprika.

 

In a small pan, pour quite a bit of olive oil, enough to douse both halves of bread, you need to eyeball it.  Add a chunk of butter for richness if you wish, it’s good. Anything with butter is good.  Let this get medium hot and throw in at least a half a head of chopped garlic, more if your loaf is really big. Let the garlic get golden brown and when you get that particular smell I can’t really describe, it’s done.

 

On both halves, with a tablespoon, spoon the oil and garlic on the paprika laden bread.  Make sure to go right to the ends so as not to cheat anyone!  Then, sprinkle some parm cheese, and fresh chopped or dried parsley. Close the bread and wrap tightly with foil. 

 

This can heat in a 350F degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  When you take the baguette it out of the oven, smush is down with your hands before you open up the foil packet. Then, cut it up so that each piece has two halves.  It’s really terrific...enjoy, and that smell!

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