Mediterranean Dip

Submitted by Heather 

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it.  But I've got to be choosy about when I make certain things - cookies and cakes go pretty fast around my house, but try to make something "interesting" and my five kids turn up their noses and I'm left eating the whole thing.  That's not always a bad thing, but not necessarily good for the figure either.  I finally got my chance, though, and brought it to a church potluck.

I was actually pretty surprised by the great reviews it got.  I took a polite spoonful on my plate and ate it and thought, "yes, this IS good," but by the time I got back to try it out again it was gone.  That and the fact that many people asked for the recipe, made it seem like a "keeper" in my book, but I wanted to taste it again to be sure (all in the name of testing and quality control, of course).  So I made it for a luncheon for my friends and finally got to take more than a polite portion.  And yes, it was very good.  All those distinct flavors were amazing as they melded into one delicious bite.  This would be a great dip to bring to any gathering of adults.  Actually, if there are kids there they'll try to eat all the pita chips and leave you with none to scoop up the dip, so watch out.  Then again, this is good enough to eat with a spoon.  I did.

               

Yield: 1 12-inch round plate of dip

For the cilantro pesto:

1½ cups fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. pecans
2 tbsp. pine nuts*
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated if you have it)

To assemble the dip:
Hummus (store-bought or homemade)
Cilantro pesto (above)
Cucumber, seeded (or unseeded English cucumber) and diced
Red onion, diced
Banana peppers, chopped
Sliced olives (black or Kalamata)
Crumbled feta cheese
Oven-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (I used sun-dried)

*If you don't have pine nuts, you can substitute all pecans with equally great results.  

DIRECTIONS
To make the cilantro pesto, combine the cilantro, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, pecans, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse repeatedly until a coarse paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan. (If storing for later use, drizzle with a thin film of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto, and store in an airtight container.)

To assemble the dip, spread a layer of hummus on a serving platter. Spread the cilantro pesto over the top of the hummus. Layer evenly with cucumber, red onion, banana peppers, olives, feta, and oven-dried tomatoes as desired. Garnish with an additional few tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro. Serve with pita chips.

Source: slightly adapted from Annies-eats.com

Cheese Straws

Have you ever been invited to a dinner party or gathering where you needed to bring something, but had absolutely no creative spark or time to ignite that creative spark?  Sometimes it can be hard to get everything done with family and kids and still make something "guest-worthy."  I found myself with this problem recently,  where I had neither the ingredients nor the time to make what I was originally planning to bring to a book club meeting.  Perusing my trusted "The New Best Recipe" by America's Test Kitchen gave me the needed inspiration.  Plus I had some puff pastry in the freezer that was just begging to be used. These cheese straws are cheesy and salty and oh so addicting!  And they're easy.  Bonus!  Use as an appetizer, side dish or to dip in your soup.  They're delicious.

*Note:  This recipe requires the use of parchment paper.  I always keep it on hand, so it doesn't seem like special equipment to me, but I realize many may not have it around.  So, go get some!

1/2 box (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm or Trader Joe's), thawed on the counter for 10 minutes
2 oz. Parmesan or Asiago cheese, freshly grated (1 cup) (I did not freshly grate it, but I did use shredded cheese)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

*Thaw the puff pastry on the counter as you preheat the oven and grate the cheese.
Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or Silpats) and set them aside.  Lay the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/8 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Place a sheet of parchment over the cheese and, using a rolling pin, press the cheese into the dough by gently rolling eh pin back and forth.  Without removing the parchment, carefully flip the dough over, cheese-side down.  Remove the tip layer of parchment and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, salt and pepper.  Cover the pastry with the parchment.  Measure the piece of dough and continue to roll it out if necessary to form a 10 1/2 inch square.

Remove the tip sheet of parchment and, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into fourteen 3/4 inch wide strips.  Gently twist each strip of dough and transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing the strips about 1 inch apart.

Bake immediately until fully puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes, reversing the positions of the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time.  Remove the straws from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.  The cheese straws, completely cooled, can be strored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Source: The New Best Recipe

Cowboy Caviar

Submitted by Heather

Here's a recipe you NEED for summer.  There are so many barbecues, holidays and potlucks where it would be perfect to take Cowboy Caviar.  Plus it's healthy!  Well, the salad is healthy - the chips you use to scoop it up are not so healthy, but at least you can feel virtuous eating all those fresh, chopped veggies.  Aren't they pretty on the plate?

Why is it called Cowboy Caviar?  I don't have any idea.  I promise there are no fish eggs in this recipe. Whew.  One plus about this recipe is that you really should make it a day ahead to let the flavors meld (I love it when I have an excuse to use that word), leaving you free of last minute prep on the day of the event.  Of course then you have to plan ahead.  But that's a problem for another day.

You can really change this recipe depending on what you have on hand.  I've made it as written though and it's delicious just the way it is. I threw in English cucumbers this time, but I don't always do that.  But they were yummy in this.  Just feel free to improvise with different color peppers or kinds of beans (I used only black beans this time).  Also, if I have fresh tomatoes on hand, I use those, though I had to use the canned variety in this picture.  And I used fresh corn and it was definitely a good use of a few extra cobs I hadn't used for dinner.  Oh, and I almost forgot that I used one fresh jalapeno instead of  the canned variety. And if I'm feeling REALLY righteous, I'll use fat free dressing.  See how changeable this recipe is??  So go and be healthy already!  You'll be well on your way to your 5 a day with this dish.

1 15-oz. can black eyed peas, drained

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz. can white corn (or fresh or frozen)

1/2 C. chopped red onion

1/2 C. chopped green pepper (or other color pepper)

1 4-oz. can diced jalapeno peppers or green chiles (or 1-2 fresh jalapenos)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (or equivalent fresh)

1 C. Italian salad dressing (use your favorite)

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

cilantro, chopped

tortilla chips

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients, except chips. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.  Eat with tortilla chips.

Recipe source: adapted from Spicy Bean Salsa on allrecipes.com