Archive for ‘Appetizers’

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April 29, 2011

Tortilla Chips & Hummus

I am the Chip Queen.  I love crunchy stuff. 

And so does my belly. 

But the last time I had some potato chips I felt sick.  I dare not pick up another chip again.

This leaves me to be a bit creative to please my inner snack junkie, and my snack junkie’s partner in crime, the Cookie Monster.   After all, junkies need companions.

Baked Tortilla Chips & Hummus
Yields 6 – 8 servings 

8 flour tortillas
4 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned
4 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ cup of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
¼ cup of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup of olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Water 

Preheat the oven to 430F.  Cut the tortillas into small wedges with a knife or kitchen scissors.  Lay them out on a baking sheet.  In batches, bake for 6 minutes until crispy.  Remove from oven and let cool.  They will harden more as they cool.

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat and toast the cumin, caraway and paprika until fragrant.  Set aside.

Blend the chickpeas, scallions, garlic, oregano, parsley, cumin, caraway, paprika and olive oil in a food processor.   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Process well by adding ¼ cup of cold water to help thin the mixture without adding more oil.  Adjust with salt and pepper.  Serve in a large dipping bowl with the tortilla chips on the side.

Chip Queen, out.

Posted in Appetizers, Eat Cheap, Snacks | 2 Comments »

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March 27, 2011

West Coast Salad

Sometimes an item on a restaurant’s menu can suddenly disappear because somehow, not enough people order that dish.  I can see why though because sometimes the ingredients just sound odd together… blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and feta?   In a salad?  With a citrus vinaigrette?  And shrimp?  The first inkling would be, ew, what a weird combination.

Oh, but it was so delicious, this salad that I had at Earls last summer.  Sadly, they removed it and it is not to be.

That won’t stop me though.  I made my own version of it and I just love the savoury, briny, shrimpy and peppery citrus taste.  In the spirit of March, and given that it’s still snowing where I live, here’s to Spring, a rare occasion, and to trying something new and adapting to new fresh and healthy flavours.

West Coast Salad
Yields 2 servings (or 4 small servings)

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups of mixed baby greens
½ cup of walnuts
½ cup of light feta, crumbled
¼ cup of blueberries, washed
¼ cup of raspberries, washed
¼ cup of strawberries, trimmed and sliced (optional)
1 tbsp sunflower oil (or any light cooking oil)

Grapefruit Vinaigrette
2 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice
1 tsp grapefruit zest
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette until emulsified.  Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.  Careful with adding salt since the feta will be salty as well.  Set aside.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel.  Heat a non-stick skillet with the sunflower
oil until the oil just starts to smoke.  Add the shrimp to the pan and spread them out without overcrowding.  Sprinkly salt and pepper over the shrimp and sear them until lightly browned on both sides.  Transfer the shrimp to a bowl to let cool.

Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.  Heat the pan until hot.  Break up the walnuts into halves and add them to the pan.  Toast the walnuts until they start to brown.  Pour the walnuts into the vinaigrette.

Add the shrimp, greens, fruit and feta to the bowl.  Toss when ready to serve.

In my version I cheated and used a grapefruit infused olive oil instead of the homemade grapefruit vinaigrette.  Both methods yield a very tasty and robust salad that is both light and pleasing in all ways sweet and salty.   I learned a lot though through this one lovely salad and that while trying to stay healthy and in tip top shape, don’t knock new flavours that don’t seem all that normal at first.  For me, flavour has become an obsession after embarking on my lifestyle change.  This was a favourite for me while I was leaning up for the summer last year for my beach vacation.  I hope you enjoy it!

Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Entrees, Fish, Fruit, Lunch, Salads | 2 Comments »

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January 8, 2011

Soupe au Pistou

I hate canned vegetable soup.  It’s a strong statement, yes, but mushy vegetables in a bland soup base that suspiciously has a hint of chicken bouillon is not good vegetable soup.  Call me a snob, which I know I can be when it comes to food, but trust me when I say my feelings wouldn’t be marred if you thought me a snob.  Vegetable soup deserves more credence and should taste way better than the stuff in the can. 

Soupe au Pistou
Yields 8 servings 

Soup
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch half rounds
1 sprig of fresh lemon thyme (or any thyme will do)
1 small potato, skin on, diced
1 ½ cups of frozen corn
3 cups swiss chard, trimmed, stems diced, leaves sliced into ½ inch strips
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 tbsp sunflower oil
5 tbsp acini de pepe (or any other type of pasta)
Salt
Pepper 

Pistou
1/3 cup fresh sweet basil
¼ cup almonds, ground
1 clove of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

First, make the pistou by adding the basil, almonds and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until just blended. Turn the processor on and drizzle in the olive oil until the basil becomes smooth. Turn the processor off and season with salt and pepper.  Pulse the mixture a few more times and taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

NOTE: I made my pistou a little saltier since it would enhance the seasoning in the soup later on. If you approach it this way, make sure not to over season your soup.

Transfer the pistou to a bowl and set aside.Heat oil and butter in a large crock pot over high heat.   Add the onions into the pot and cook until lightly caramelized.  Add the carrots and celery to the pot and cook until the carrots start to brown on the edges.  Add the potatoes and cook until the potato begins to break apart and sticks to the bottom of the pot.  Add the thyme and stir in with the vegetables for 1 – 2 minutes to allow the herb to become fragrant. Add the chard to the pot and cook until the chard begins to turn into a vibrant green.  Add both types of broth and the pasta to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.   Check the pasta for doneness.  When the pasta is done, add the corn and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.  Let simmer for another 2 minutes and serve topped with a teaspoon of pistou and bread on the side.  Store remaining soup in Tupperware (it will taste even better the next day). 

Posted in Appetizers, Entrees, Lunch, Soups | Leave a Comment »

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