Tag: Pita

Sumac Scented Eggplant and Chickpeas

Have you ever used ground sumac? Ground sumac is made from dried ground berries from the sumac bush, which is native to the Middle East. The flavor is similar to lemons, sour and tangy, but less tart than lemon juice.

I purchased ground sumac a while back patiently waiting for the “right” recipe to cross my path. After receiving eggplant in my most recent Hungry Harvest, I came across this recipe for Sumac Scented Eggplant and Chickpeas, which I knew I had to make!

I ended up cooking dried chickpeas in an electric pressure cooker, made my own pomegranate molasses, but using canned chickpeas and store bought pomegranate molasses works just as well. I adapted this recipe from New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup olive oil, divided 
  • 2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste 
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon ground sumac
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
  • 4 scallions, sliced, light green and white parts separated from dark green parts
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
  • 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt, for serving (omit for dairy free/vegan)
  • Toasted pita, for serving (omit for gluten free)

Continue reading Sumac Scented Eggplant and Chickpeas

Grilled Lamb Pita Pockets

I’ve mentioned before that once warmer weather is here, I make it a priority to use my grill instead of my oven/stovetop whenever I can, like with this recipe for Grilled Lamb Pita Pockets. It keeps the temperature down in my house, and it’s super easy to grill! Plus, who doesn’t love the flavor that grilling adds to food?

I had a craving for lamb this week, so I decided to make grilled lamb pita pockets for dinner one night. I grilled lamb meatballs on skewers and then topped the meatballs with a drizzle of tzatziki and a Greek-inspired pesto sauce with some extra feta and cucumbers for good measure. I unfortunately didn’t have any tomatoes on hand, but would strongly suggest adding chopped tomatoes as well!

Ingredients:

Lamb Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Tzatziki:

  • 1 cucumber, seeds scooped out and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped
  • the zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Greek Pesto:

  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1 cup mint
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons feta cheese

Other:

  • finely chopped cucumber
  • diced tomatoes
  • feta cheese, crumbled
  • pita rounds

Continue reading Grilled Lamb Pita Pockets

White Bean-Tahini Dip with Toasted Pitas

Note: I was sent a Labell Board to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

Cutting boards are a staple of any kitchen. They (of course) are used to cut, chop, mince, and dice vegetables, fruits, and protein for meals, but I love to also use them for presentation. There are some cutting boards, like this one from Planches Labell, that need to be shown off!

Labell boards are made from premium Canadian recovered/recycled hardwoods and are produced with the highest production standards. With the new abilities in wood manufacturing Planches Labell has the capacity to take this raw material, otherwise disposed of, and turn it into culinary works of art. Offerings include Rustic Tree-Cut Serving Platters, Paddle Boards, Utility Boards and Butcher Blocks.

To show off this beauty, I decided to make a White Bean-Tahini Dip inspired by a recipe I found on Food Network. This dip is very similar to hummus but uses cannellini beans instead of chickpeas. The added spices of cumin, za’atar, chile powder and garlic powder really amp up the flavor! (Za’atar, specifically the blend I used, is a combination of sumac, thyme, sesame, and salt.)

Ingredients:

Toasted Pita Chips:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons za’atar
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 pitas
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

White-Bean Tahini Dip:

  • 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained with liquid reserved
  • 1/2 cup tahini paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon of reserved spices
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • minced chives, for garnish

Other:

  • Baby carrots
  • Broccoli florets
  • Cut celery
  • Grape Tomatoes

Continue reading White Bean-Tahini Dip with Toasted Pitas

Guest Post – Falafel

Today, I have a guest post from Trudy Abhood of GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Not only does she deliver a delicious (and super simple) falafel recipe, but she even helps take the guesswork out of dessert. Falafel, if you haven’t had it before, is a fried patty made from chickpeas or fava beans. They are delicious with some tahini, hot sauce, hummus, and cucumber on a pita, or as part of a mezze platter. The best part? This recipe only takes 15 minutes! Enjoy!
 
There comes a time when food and boredom go hand in hand and when finding something to eat is harder than going on a diet. I have found that Falafel can heroically fill both these problems. This Middle Eastern food has become more and more popular over the years, but my friends remain hesitant; most are even unsure of what food group it belongs to. Falafel is made of mainly mashed up chickpeas, so it is the protein food group, for all those now wondering. I have found a super delicious and easy recipe that has said it fifteen minutes, including prep time! I tried it out and yes, it takes fifteen minutes, but a food processor is in dire need to make this time!
Ingredients:
  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • oil for frying (canola or vegetable)
Preparation:
Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. I have found that you may want to mash the chickpeas before combining everything. Also, having a food processor would be very handy for mashing them. Without a food processor, this may take longer than fifteen minutes! You want everything to be a nice thick paste that can be made into chick pea balls. Make them about the size of a ping pong ball.Now just use a frying pan with about 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees.                                         
The balls should take about 2-5 minutes to be nice and golden. And that’s it!
Now serve falafel by itself, or with hummus and pita bread. Yum!
Everyone knows what comes after the meal…dessert! Since it was just Valentine’s Day, I have been searching for scrumptious sweets and came across a loaded gift basket with red velvet cake. They also have gift baskets with wine! Who doesn’t want to curl up with a bottle of wine and cake? I had never even though of gift basketsas an idea for myself, but why not? Some are only $24.99. This is less than a pair of jeans nowadays. Time for some falafel, wine, and cake!
My advice: Don’t be afraid of deliciousness.
About the author; Trudy Abood is the VP of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, one of the top suppliers of quality gift baskets. She is a mom of 2 boys, one of which founded GGB and the other is also VP at the company. She formally owned Chalifour’s Flowers in Manchester, NH; the largest flower shop in the state.
Thanks so much Trudy! The falafel sounds absolutely delicious! If you’ve never checked out GourmetGiftBaskets.com, I suggest popping over there soon. It’s a really great site, with inventive baskets as well as traditional treats. They have such a wonderful selection that I can’t choose my favorite! (The cocktail, breakfast, and the coffee & chocolate baskets are definitely at the top of my list but I also love the organic baskets and the unique gift baskets are really great. They even have a Phillies themed basket! See? Told you I couldn’t decide). 

Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce

I love a good gyro. I never considered even trying to make one because, this may come as a surprise, but I don’t have a spit in my tiny apartment. I know, a huge oversight. So I was really excited to find this recipe for Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce, (no spit required), especially because it takes 25 minutes to make. Woo hoo! (If I haven’t convinced you to pick up the Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast  cookbook yet, you must not be reading my posts this week).

Ingredients:

Lamb Wrap:

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 lamb sausages (or 1/2 lb ground lamb)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • Pepper and salt, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
  • 2 pocketless pitas or other flat bread

Tzatziki sauce:

  • 1/4 cup plain reduced fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 a cucumber, seeded, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
  • the juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced

Continue reading Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce

Baked Brie

There is a Moroccan restaurant in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia called Figs that has the most fantastic Baked Brie dish. It comes in a clay pot and is topped with honey, lavender and almonds.
I randomly had a craving for this appetizer this weekend and decided to try to make my own.

Ingredients:

  • 1 wheel of brie
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
  • Day Old Bread, or Toasted Pita

Continue reading Baked Brie

Parsley Hummus with Toasted Pine Nuts & Pita

Hummus is really easy to make and can be customized to whatever suits your tastes. I am still working through my parsley, so I decided to try a parsley hummus on Epicurious with a few adjustments.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of parsley leaves
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tahini
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pita bread
cooking spray
salt, to taste

Preheat the over to 450 degrees. Cut the pita into triangles and arrange on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.

Cook for 4-5 minutes and set aside. Place the chickpeas in a colander and rinse with water.

Roughly chop the garlic.

Put the parsley and the garlic in a food processor and process until thoroughly mixed, about 1 minute.

Add the chickpeas and process for another minute.
Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, tahini, olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt (to taste). Process until smooth.
Place the pine nuts in a saute pan over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently to keep them from burning. When fragrant and browned, remove from heat.
Take 3/4 of the pine nuts and finely chop.
Add the chopped pine nuts to the hummus and mix in with a spoon. Top the hummus with the remaining whole pine nuts.
The spices add great flavor but there isn’t enough in it to give heat. The pine nuts give the hummus some crunch. And for some reason, it makes me super happy that this hummus is such a pretty green color. If you’re not in the mood for toasted pita, tomatoes or sliced cucumber would be quite tasty with this.
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