The Perfect Appetizer

Besides spending time with my family over a holiday weekend, I also look forward to the long weekends to enjoy more time to cook. Today, we had an impromptu barbecue. Not wanting to go empty-handed, I looked in my cupboard and realized I had the ingredients for one of my favorite appetizers: Italian Hummus. I first found this recipe in a Giada de Laurentiis cookbook but have adapted it to my preferences including eliminating parsley and adding more oregano instead.

If you have a barbecue to attend this weekend, suprise your host and bring this fantastic appetizer along.

Rather than chickpeas, I turn to Northern Beans or Cannellini Beans for this recipe. I like the flavor of the Northern Beans for this appetizer. They have a nice, mild flavor and are creamy. I've always enjoyed the Middle Eastern version of hummus but this is certainly a nice change and beats the pre-packaged hummus found in the grocery store.

The ingredient list is rather simple and therefore, can be prepared at the last minute to take along to a spur of the moment barbecue. All you need is a 15 oz can of Northern Beans, garlic, olive oil, oregano, lemon juice and a pack of pitas. The lemon juice gives the hummus a fresh, tangy flavor and the oregano adds depth that it's boring and bitter fellow green herb parsley just can't do. I do use dried oregano which works just fine but if you have fresh on-hand, even better. Also, nothing can compare to fresh lemon juice versus the bottled version. Combine the ingredients above (minus the pita) in a food processor and puree a bit and you've got a gorgeous hummus to take to a party.

While you could serve this with plain pita or store-bought pita chips, nothing compares to making your own pita chips. I purchased a pack of pitas (I used whole wheat) and cut each pita into eight triangles. I arranged the triangles on a baking sheet and brushed each with olive oil and then sprinkled with kosher salt. I put the pita under the broiler until they began to get crisp on top, then removed the pita from the oven and flipped each over to brown the other side. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes and the result is crunchy, salty, warm goodness that when dipped in the hummus will make you sigh with happiness. Really, I promise!

The pita chips are not only a hit with the adults but also with little ones. My 10 month-old son could not get enough of the pita chips! For a teething baby, these chips turned out to be nirvana with the crispy outside and soft middle.

As for the presentation, I always think presentation helps a dish taste even better. If it's appealing to the eye, it's much more attractive to the potential tasters. I like to put the hummus in a pretty glass bowl and set it on a small platter and then arrange the pita chips around the bowl. I also like to sprinkle a bit of oregano on top of the hummus and then add a dash of olive oil on top as well.

I'll be posting more recipes this weekend but this was a nice start to the holiday weekend. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Italian Hummus and Pita Chips

*1 15 oz can Northern or Cannellini Beans, rinsed

*1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons

*2 teaspoons minced garlic (feel free to use more if you prefer a more garlicky taste)

*2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

*1.5 tablespoons oregano

*Salt and pepper to taste

*6 pitas

*Kosher salt

Details:

*Rinse can of beans and place in bowl of a food processor along with 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, oregano and lemon juice. Puree until almost smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowl. Sprinkle hummus in the bowl with a bit of oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

*Turn on broiler (high) on your oven.

*Cut pita into 8 triangles and place on a cookie sheet.

*Using remaining olive oil, brush each pita triangle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

*Place cookie sheet under the broiler. Once crisp, remove from oven, flip over each triangle and broil for a few more minutes until crisp. The entire process should take less than five minutes.

*Arrange pita on a platter around the bowl of hummus.

Recipe inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

Big Pat's Favorite Things Salad

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens?

Not in my family. Those items definitely did not count as favorite things. We had a few things that ranked higher.

Channeling my dad (known as “Big Pat” on this blog), I know he would say: “No thanks. Give me Italian sausage and cheese any day instead.”

It’s very warm in D.C. today and it made me think of summertime growing up in Wisconsin and all the great things my dad would cook. In particular, he loved to grill Italian sausage from our favorite Italian grocery store in Milwaukee, Glorioso’s. He would serve the sausages with a salad full of fresh vegetables including peppers, mushrooms and onion with his special vinaigrette. My dad always made a great salad dressing (olive oil, red wine vinaigrette, garlic, onion salt and oregano and a squeeze of lemon juice) and I have tried for a long time to replicate it. I think I am getting closer and my attempt is below.

I decided to make a nice, warm weather-appropriate salad for dinner tonight with a few of my dad’s favorite things. What could be better than bocconcini (little almost bite size balls of mozzarella that you can find at almost any grocery store) with fresh mushrooms, roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts, white beans (northern or cannellini will work), kalamata (or regular black olives) and turkey Italian sausage pieces tossed in a delicious vinaigrette?

Because it is not the weekend, I was a bit pressed for time to cook since when I get home from work my priority is to be able to spend as much time as possible with my husband, Dan and our son, Davis. The salad turned out to be a great idea because it was hearty enough for a main course and filled with fresh ingredients but still easy to prepare. The only real “cooking” I had to do was grill the sausage. Since Italian sausage does not rank high on the list of healthiest things in the world, I opted to use spicy turkey Italian sausage. After tasting the turkey Italian sausage, I think it could have even fooled my dad as tasting like the “real thing” from Glorioso’s. Additionally, feel free to personalize the salad for your tastes and add more of less of one ingredient. And, add as much or as little of the vinaigrette as you please.

Though I didn’t have a lot of time to let the ingredients marinate today before serving, this salad is even better the next day after the various components have soaked up the tasty vinaigrette. As my dad liked to say, “It’s never too early to think about your next meal.”

And with this salad, at least it’s already waiting for you ready to go the next day, even more delicious than the first time.

Here are the details:

Big Pat’s Favorite Things Salad (Serves 4)

Salad Ingredients
*2 eight ounce containers of bocconcini, drained from the water they are packaged in and cut in half
*1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
*1/2 cup kalamata or black olives
*1/2 cup roasted red peppers cut into 1 inch squares
*1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
*1/2 cup white beans (northern or cannellini), rinsed
*4 Turkey Italian Sausage links, grilled and cut into bite-size pieces

Vinaigrette Ingredients
*¾ cup olive oil
*¼ cup red wine vinegar
*2-3 garlic cloves
*2 tsp oregano
*½ tsp onion salt

*Juice of half a large lemon
*Salt and pepper to taste

Details:
*Grill two links of turkey Italian sausage until brown and thoroughly cooked.
*While the sausage is grilling, drain the bocconcini and beans and cut each bocconcini in half. In a medium bowl, add the bocconcini, beans, olives, fresh mushrooms and roasted red peppers which have been cut into 1 inch squares.
*Place the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat on the stove and toss them until they are toasted. You will know they are done cooking when you can smell the pine nuts “toasting”. Add the pine nuts to the bowl once toasted.
*Once the sausage is grilled, cut it into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl.
*Whisk the red wine vinegar with the garlic, oregano and onion salt. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking and then squeeze in the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
*Slowly add the vinaigrette to the bowl of ingredients and toss (use more or less vinaigrette to taste).
*Serve to the ones you love with a good loaf of Italian bread.

The Fish Fry, Re-invented

Growing up in Wisconsin, it was a ritual on Friday nights to go out for a Friday Fish Fry. I ate many a plate of delicious, flaky fish with a crisp batter coating the outside. You can’t beat fried goodness! What I remember well is that the fish was never greasy but had a nice crispness to it. And the fish was never ‘fishy’. I know, I know. Fishy fish? I prefer fish that has a sweet and almost shellfish-like taste and it is usually a safe bet to serve for guests who are over for dinner.

I’ve always liked fish and order it frequently in restaurants but it has taken me a bit to become comfortable cooking fish. I think half the battle was finding a fish market where I knew I could find quality, fresh fish with a knowledgeable fishmonger to guide me in my choices. If you live in Washington, DC, I suggest the Black Salt Fish Market which is at the front of the restaurant, Black Salt.

After a weekend of delicious dinners and desserts, I was in the mood for something lighter for dinner so I made a stop at the Black Salt Market for one of my favorite pieces of fish, skate. Skate is a very mild, white and flaky fish with a sweet, shellfish taste. The best thing about this fish is it is quick and easy to cook and with a bit of olive oil in a hot pan, you come away with a crisp piece of fish without the mess and extra calories of deep-frying. If you can’t find skate, you could also try fluke, haddock, cod or even tilapia. However, the skate makes for a nice dinner presentation if you are having guests over as it is almost fan-like in appearance. I should also add that skate is relatively inexpensive.

With minimal seasoning and just a bit of olive oil in the pan, you end up with a delicious piece of fish. Rather than putting butter or a sauce on the fish, I simply squeeze half a lemon over the fish and let the juice seep into the fish as it rests before serving it. The fresh lemon juice gives the fish a delicious, sweet flavor and keeps the fish moist and juicy.

A few tips for cooking your Fish Fry, Re-invented:

*To obtain the crispy, golden brown outside, simply put flour in a shallow dish and then season the flour with whatever flavor you want the fish to take on and lightly dredge the fish in the flour. I used oregano and garlic powder for a Mediterranean taste but the possibilities are endless with whatever seasoning and flavor you are craving.

*Make sure you turn the stove on high heat and don’t put the fish in until the oil is almost smoking.

*The skate can be tricky to turn over in the pan. I suggest using a longer spatula like this one: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-stainless-steel-flexible-spatula/?pkey=ccooking-utensils%7Cctlutlspt

Here is the recipe:

Fish Fry, Re-invented
Ingredients
*Skate (ask your fishmonger how much is enough for those you are serving)
*Flour (enough to cover the bottom of a shallow dish)
*Oregano (enough to season the flour)
*Garlic powder (enough to season the flour)
*Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
*Lemon (you should use ½ lemon for each piece of skate)

Details:
*Cover the bottom of a shallow dish with flour.
*Sprinkle the oregano and garlic powder into the flour. Don’t be afraid to be generous with the seasoning.
*Using tongs, lay the fish in the dish and coat one side with flour. Then, flip the fish over and coat the other side.

*Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is smoking, lay the fish in the pan. The fish will cook very quickly. Once it starts to turn white, flip over and cook the other side. This should take approximately a total of 5-7 minutes.

*Once the skate is cooked, transfer it to a plate and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top.

Traditionally, French fries are served with a fish fry or even a baked potato. Since I was looking for something crunchy and a little salty but still keeping with my Mediterranean theme, I asked my husband to make his famous grilled chickpeas. They are highly addictive! I know it sounds odd to grill chickpeas but trust me, you will want to eat these every night.

Here is the recipe:

Dan’s ChickpeasIngredients:
*1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
*Tinfoil
*Olive Oil
*Kosher salt
*Garlic powder (optional)

Details:
*Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas
*Place chickpeas on a piece of tinfoil with the sides folded up a bit to prevent the chickpeas from escaping
*Coat the chickpeas with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic powder
*Place the chickpeas on a hot grill and poke holes with a fork in the tinfoil.
*Let chickpeas cook for 5-8 minutes, “stirring” occasionally

Blueberry or Raspberry Scones for the Birthday Girl

My niece turned 12 yesterday and I wanted to make her a special birthday treat. I made scones for Mother's Day and she really enjoyed them. With that in mind, I whipped up a batch of scones especially for the Birthday Girl while my son was napping! I took a basic scone recipe and then added in blueberries and topped each with lemon glaze. The beauty of this recipe is you can mix anything in from different fruit to chocolate chips, etc. The picture above shows them with raspberries as well. I found this recipe in a Giada De Laurentiis cookbook but tweaked it to suit my needs including reducing the amount of glaze that I really needed and adding in a different kind of fruit.

You can also make the glaze using the basic ingredients listed below but substitute in another fruit for the lemon. For example, you could puree strawberries and create a strawberry glaze by mixing it with the powdered sugar and a bit of water.

I had to sample a scone fresh out of the oven and it was truly delicious! The fresh blueberries combined with the tangy lemon glaze was divine. Adding the blueberries gave the scones a natural sweetness.

You can cook the scones up in under an hour. A great something sweet to take as a gift for a brunch or dinner host or to make as a treat for the ones you love.

This recipe will make 12-14 scones.

Ingredients

Scones:

*2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

*1/2 cup sugar

*2 teaspoons baking powder

*6 tablespoons unsalted butter, but into fourths

*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*1 cup heavy cream
*1 cup blueberries or fruit of your choice

Glaze:

*1/8 cup lemon juice (preferably fresh)

*1 cup powdered sugar

*1-2 tablespoons of water

Details:

For the scones:

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

*Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat

*In the bowl of a food processor, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

*Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.

*Blend in the blueberries

*On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2 inch thick, 10-in circle

*Using a glass that has a 2-3 inch opening, cut out circular pieces of dough and add to the baking sheet.

*Bake for 18-20 mins

*Once cooled, drizzle with glaze using a spoon

For the glaze:

*Mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Add water until the mixture is thin enough to drizzle. Let the glaze set for at least 15 mins.

*Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

The beginning of a blog

I've always loved to cook and decided it might be fun to share some of my favorite recipes with the hope that they will bring as much enjoyment to others as they do to me and my family.

My love of cooking came from my wonderful father, who passed away almost six years ago. He adored food and used it to bring people together. Some of my earliest food memories are of visiting a tiny Italian grocery store with my dad and sampling delicious meats and cheeses that my young taste buds had never experienced. I also watched my dad organize a Fourth of July picnic at my family's lake house that brought together all our friends and family for a wonderful celebration year after year.

This brings me to the beginning of this blog, Weekend Gourmet. After my dad passed away, I found much comfort in cooking. It made me still feel close to him even though he was no longer with us physically. I also began to witness how much a special meal could bring people together or how a dessert cooked especially for someone could make them feel special. More than anything, cooking gave me a creative outlet that was very different than my day job and a way to escape from anything that was troubling me.

Now, almost six years after my dad passed away and my enjoyment of cooking began, I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful 10 month-old son. I also work full-time which means that my opportunities to throw myself into cooking (and to cook what I really want to cook versus throwing together a quick weeknight meal) happen mostly on the weekend. My hope is to use this blog to share delicious recipes that you can cook for your family and friends and perhaps find the same joy I have found in cooking.