March Recipes

March 2017 Recipes

Hummus
Stephanie Holden
Recipe from Bon Appetit
Yield:  about four cups

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
⅓ cup (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
⅔ cup tahini
¼ teaspoon (or more) ground cumin
Olive oil (for serving)

Place chickpeas and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and let sit at room temperature until chickpeas have doubled in size, 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse.
Combine soaked chickpeas and remaining 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until chickpeas are tender and really falling apart, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, process garlic, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until coarsely puréed; let sit 10 minutes to allow garlic to mellow. Strain garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to food processor; discard solids. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With motor running, add ¼ cup ice water by the tablespoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick. Add chickpeas and cumin and process, occasionally scraping down sides, until mixture is extremely smooth, about 4 minutes. Thin with more water if you prefer a looser consistency; taste and season with salt, more lemon juice, and more cumin as desired.
Spoon hummus into a shallow bowl, making a well in the center, and drizzle it liberally with oil. Top as desired.


Cucumber and Lemony Dill Sandwiches
Stephanie Holden
Recipe from Food Network
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices good-quality white bread*
1/3 large English seedless cucumber (about 4 inches), thinly sliced

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, fresh dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Lay the slices of bread on your work service and distribute the cream cheese evenly among each slice, spreading into a thin layer. Arrange the cucumber slices in rows over 3 slices of the bread. Top with the remaining bread, and cut into quarters so there are 4 pieces from each sandwich. Serve immediately.

Tzakziki Sauce
Holly Jeffries
1/2 of a large cucumber, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Grate the cucumber and drain through a fine mesh sieve overnight in the refrigerator. Combine the yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Transfer the grated cucumber and fresh dill to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Drizzle olive oil on top and enjoy. Serve chilled with pita bread for dipping.



Vanilla Pound Cake
Holly Jeffries

From Food.com

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Beat on low to mix ingredients well, then beat on high for 5 minutes. On low, add flour and baking powder alternately with milk, and beat well after each addition. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes; invert onto cake plate.


Cucumber Salad
Holly Jeffries

4 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold. This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.



Greek Meatballs
Holly Jefferies

Adapted from Recipe Runner

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh leaf parsley
3 tablespoons grated onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest of a lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.

In a large bowl whisk together the panko, parsley, grated onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice, egg, spices, salt and pepper. Add the ground beef to the mixture and combine with your hands being careful not to overwork the meat mixture. Form approximately into about 12-15 one-tablespoon-sized meatballs.

Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray, then place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the meatballs from the oven and serve with the tzatziki sauce.




No comments: