Tag Archives: lemon

Hummus…and a Giveaway!

Hummus
Hummus

If you’re at all familiar with the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you must remember the “Mooscaca” scene! You can watch it here (@ 3:00 is the scene I’m talking about). That was my childhood! Being Armenian with a family from Egypt, my Mother didn’t know anything about Wonderbread. Or any sliced bread, for that matter. All of our sandwiches were on pita bread. And many times, there was hummus in that pita. This was over forty thirty years ago (hey, stop trying to do the math!). No one in suburban New Jersey was eating pita bread or hummus for lunch. Except for me. I would beg my Mom to just buy Wonderbread. “Pleeeeeeaaaase can I just take a peanut butter and jelly on Wonderbread!” She’d reply “Hokees (sweetheart in Armenian), why would you want to eat that when this is so good?” Sigh. I’d cringe as I looked into my lunchbox. I can remember trying to find a way to eat the sandwich without taking it completely out in plain sight. I will say, no one teased me about it. They did ask me what the heck I was eating and that alone was all I needed to develop a full blown complex. One day, my friend Sandy must have felt sorry for me. She offered to trade sandwiches. That meant the world to me. Sandy’s family owned an Italian deli and she always had the most beautiful sandwiches. I don’t remember anything beyond that moment, just that she made me feel like less of a freak!

So, it’s not like I think I have any claim to hummus, but do I feel like it’s mine. I’m kidddddding! A little. It’s just that this is the type of food that was a staple in our home and back then, I felt like an oddball eating it! Now, it’s everywhere. Hummus is so popular that some tobacco farmers are switching to farming chickpeas instead of tobacco! So, I kind of feel like, well, my hummus is pretty darn good. Who knew that some of my most major hangups over food would pay off someday?

One of the wonderful things that has come to me because of my crazy relationship with food is this blog. Over the past few months, I’ve seen it grow and I’ve been hearing really sweet things from my awesome readers. You’ve all been so kind and supportive, I’d like to give a little something to you! Enter to win a $25 gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond courtesy of Taste Love & Nourish. I know I can always find a little something every time I go there! I love that store! Enter below! Good luck and thank you!

Hummus

Hummus

1 29 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1/3 C. tahini
juice of one lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
up to 1/3 C. water (start with less and add a bit more if you need to thin it out)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling on top
3/4 t. salt
a bit of black pepper
1/4 t. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes
toasted or grilled pita bread or assorted veggies for serving

Combine the ingredients up to the garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon into a serving bowl and drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with some crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes:

  • I don’t add a lot of olive oil while processing. I feel like the flavor of the oil gets lost. I like to use the best quality extra virgin olive oil I can and use it more as a garnish. That way you really taste the fruity flavor on your tongue.
  • I don’t use a ton of fresh garlic in this for a reason. I think raw garlic can be overwhelming. If I roast garlic beforehand, I add a lot more than the one clove. Roasted garlic is mellow, sweet and delicious. To roast a head of garlic, cut a bit of the top off to expose the cloves, place the garlic in a bit of aluminum foil, drizzle with a tiny, tiny bit of olive oil and roast in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the garlic. To test, just give it a light squeeze. If it’s softened, it’s done!
Hummus

 

 

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Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad
Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

With so much going on last week, I felt like I was walking around in a haze half the time. Both global and personal events had me preoccupied. So, in that haze, I made a pot of quinoa last night to accompany dinner, only to realize I’d made so many different things, no one even wanted it. I stuck it in the fridge and figured I’d make a salad with it. Well, here it is! I just started pulling things together and this became the best lunch I’d had in a long time! I could hardly stop eating long enough to take some photos and get this written up.

This salad is a combination of textures. The crunch of the pepitas and the quinoa, and creaminess of the black beans and mangoes are wonderful. And the bit of sweetness from those mangoes and the currants against the savory citrus dressing is so good! I could eat this all day. This salad will be great to pack up for my daughter’s lunches this week or as a side dish for a light and healthy dinner!

Enjoy…and in light of so much heartbreaking news recently…peace.

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

3 C. cooked red quinoa, cooled
2 ripe mangoes, cubed
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 C. frozen sweet corn kernels
1/4 C. currants
2 green onions, sliced
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 C. roasted pepitas

Citrusy Vinaigrette
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. cumin
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the salad ingredients, up to the parsley, in a large bowl. Combine the dressing in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine and get it all covered. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Toss in the pepitas just before serving to keep their crunch.

 

Notes:

  • I like to rinse my quinoa before cooking. If you don’t have a really fine sieve, line whatever sieve you do have with some paper towel. You’ll have to really shake those little buggers off afterward, but it is worth it. Rinsing removes the saponins (a substance that makes quinoa bitter) and really makes a huge difference. This is the quinoa I use.
  • Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. Find them in the nut section of your store.
  • I used Champagne mangoes in this salad. You can use any mango. They just happened to be on sale this past week. This was my first time trying them. Their texture is a bit creamier than most mangoes, they have a really pretty golden color, inside and out and they get really sweet when left out on the counter.
  • This year, 2013, has been declared, “The International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations! Read about the global importance of this super nutritious grain.
  • If you’d like more nutritional information about quinoa, check out this great source: World’s Healthiest Foods!

 

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

 

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Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops…and a Giveaway!

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops

This salad is full of the flavors I grew up with. I’ve mentioned before, I’m an Armenian girl who grew up eating a lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. One bite of this salad and I feel like I’m back in my Mom’s kitchen. The flavors of the Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and red onion are bold, tangy and salty. They are balanced by some of the other ingredients, like the creamy nuttiness of the chickpeas, the crunch of the pita chips and the brightness of the lemon zest. Speaking of lemon…this dressing is based on the dressing my Mom always made. It’s full of fresh lemon juice and just a hint of cumin and oregano.

The scallops are my addition to this familiar salad. I love scallops. They are tender, buttery and have such a mild flavor, they go so well with this bold salad. This is my favorite way to eat them…seared. And I think I’ve got the technique down. It’s really easy. There are just a few things to keep in mind when searing scallops. I’ll take you through the steps in the recipe below.

 

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
about 2 handfuls of mixed greens
1/2 C. grape tomatoes
1/2 C. large seedless cucumber, chopped
1/4 C. red onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
about 4 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
1 1/2 C. broken pita chips

Dressing
juice of one lemon (about 1/3 C.)
zest of half of a lemon
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1/8 t. cumin
1/8 t. dried oregano (crumbled between your fingers)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Scallops
1 lb. sea scallops
1 T. butter
2 t. olive oil
kosher salt and pepper

Assemble and divide the salad ingredients on four dinner plates. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside while you prepare the scallops.

Preheat a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Most store bought scallops are stored in a liquid that keeps them fresh. Ask if you are unsure. If they are, you should give them a bit of a rinse under cold water. Pat dry your scallops with paper towels whether you’ve rinsed them or not. You want them to be dry. Next, you want to pull of the little tab of muscle that most of them have. It can get tough once cooked. Lay the scallops out and very lightly sprinkle them with kosher salt and some black pepper on both sides. Add the olive oil and the butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted add the scallops. You will probably have to do this in two batches. A crowded pan won’t give you a nice sear. Once you’ve placed them in the pan…do not move them at all for at least 2 minutes, but not much more than that. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. They should be golden.

Pour about 2 tablespoons of dressing on each salad. Top each salad off with some scallops. I like to zest some additional lemon zest from the remaining lemon half over the top of each salad.

 

Notes:

  • If you are concerned about buying scallops stored in liquid, buy them from a fish monger and ask for “dry packed” scallops.
  • One easy way to chop the romaine into small pieces is to cut the whole head in half lengthwise, then cut each half once more. Rinse the sections, then cut across each section into small pieces.
  • I use less salt in the dressing than I normally would because so many elements in the salad are pretty salty.  Adjust to your own taste.

 

Those of you who follow my blog know I use my Microplane Zester-Grater often. I use it for the lemon zest in this recipe. And guess what? You can enter to win your very own! My Zester-Grater is one of those “Things I Love!” Read about it here and enter to win!

 

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Baby Kale Salad with Strawberry and Avocado

Baby Kale with Strawberry and Avocado

When you live in a temperate climate, this is about the time you start to yearn for change. In this case…spring! Today, there was no sign of it what-so-ever! Outside, dreariness took over the day, until snowflakes decided to fall and blustery wind whipped past. I decided to act like none of this was happening. No, I’m ready for spring. I turned my back to the window, opened the fridge and basically, the ingredients to this salad came out.

If you think you don’t like kale give baby kale a try. Really, the leaves are much more tender, the stalks have just a nice bit of crunch and the flavor is so mild. Kale is truly one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. It’s extremely high in vitamin K, A, C and magnesium. Kale is high in fiber and antioxidants. Combined with sweet and fragrant strawberries, creamy bits of avocado, crunchy and nutty almonds and this simple lemon vinaigrette, you’ll not only feel great about eating so healthy, you’ll feel like spring has sprung!

 

Baby Kale Salad with Strawberry and Avocado

4 C. baby kale
1/2 avocado, cubed
8 large strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted if desired

Dressing
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 T.)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. honey
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

Assemble the salad ingredients up to the strawberries. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over top then sprinkle with the almonds.

This makes two smaller salads or one large salad.

 

Notes:

  • If you enjoy kale, you may also like this Kale and Pear Salad with an Apple Cider and Chia Dressing.

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    Tilapia en Papillote

    Tilapia en Papillote

    We eat this dish a lot! For several reasons. We try to eat fish once or twice a week and this is so easy and really flavorful. Tilapia is a really bland fish, but it’s perfect for the bold flavors from the lemon, whole grain mustard and capers. This cleans up so easily too! Bake and serve in the paper pouch. Easy peasy. And the last reason we’ve been eating it so much lately is…it’s one of those things that has been so difficult to photograph! So, this last time I decided whatever it was, I’d post it. I mean, this recipe is just too good not to share with you. And really, coming from a girl who’s never, ever been very photogenic…I can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for this guy.

    Just before getting folded up!

     

    Tilapia en Papillote

    4 Tilapia fillets
    1/2 red pepper, finely diced
    1 C. grape tomatoes, halved
    2 C. baby spinach
    1/2 small red or sweet onion, finely diced
    1 T. small capers, drained
    juice and zest of one whole lemon (about 1/3 C.)
    3 T. extra virgin olive oil
    2 t. whole grain Dijon mustard
    1/2 t. sea salt
    1/4 t. black pepper
    1/8 t. cumin
    chopped fresh parsley

    Preheat your oven to 450 degrees or your grill on high.

    Cut 4 sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil to about 15 to 18 inches. Lay each sheet out on your counter. Place one fillet centered on the right side of each sheet. Divide the vegetables, up to the capers, over the top of each fillet.

    In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients up to the cumin. Pour about 2 tablespoons over each fillet.

    To seal the packet, fold the parchment in half like a book. Take one corner and fold it up toward you then go along the entire edge folding the paper up and over until you’ve sealed the packet all the way around. If you are using aluminum foil, I like to place the fish dead center, then bring up the sides and just fold down to form a canoe shape. Use whatever technique works best for you.

    Place the packets on a baking sheet if baking in the oven and bake on the center rack for 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. If grilling, place the packets on the grill and grill for 15 minutes at a medium high heat.

    Remove when done and either serve in the packet or slide the contents onto a dish. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

    Tilapia en Papillote Served with Baby Kale and Steamed Brown Rice

     

    Notes:

  • Let’s be honest, the parchment certainly looks impressive and is technically the proper material to use, but aluminum foil is easier to fold and is much quicker when you are in a hurry. I use both. It just depends on how many oooh’s and aaah’s I’m fishing for that night. Fishing? No pun intended there.
  • I change this up sometimes and add whatever veggie is calling to me front the veggie drawer. Slices of green or yellow zucchini in the summer are really good and so pretty. No red pepper in the fridge? I’ve used jarred roasted red pepper instead of fresh…that’s really delicious too!
  • This fish is really good served with rice and maybe some dressed greens.
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