Couscous with Scallions and Parsley

I too have one more recipe from our celebration dinner to share, Couscous with Scallions and Parsley. Couscous is one of my favorite side dishes, but until last week I had only tried the boxed variety with season packets. While these taste delicious, I have always been a bit concerned with the level of sodium contained within the seasoning. This is particularly an issue because couscous is my go to healthy substitute for mashed potatoes and other rich sides.

I had been meaning to look up an alternative preparation and our Mediterranean themed meal was the perfect reason to figure it out. What I love about this recipe is that it doesn't mess with the simplicity and ease of couscous or the great flavors it can provide. In fact, I actually prefer the freshness of the onions and herbs in this dish as opposed to the pre-fabed boxed variety. The only change I would make next time, and I've included this into the recipe below, is that I would add some garlic powder to enhance the flavor.

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Couscous with Scallions and Parsley


Ingredients
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup couscous
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mined Italian parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
In a pot combine the water, olive oil, and kosher salt and bring to a boil.

 Add the couscous, stir, and return to a boil.

 Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the green onions, parsley, and garlic powder.

Our whole buffet spread at dinner

Source: Adapted from Food & Wine

Roasted Eggplant Dip

I'll be the first to admit that this dip isn't the prettiest of appetizers. But let me tell you, it sure is delicious. Robert's aunt made this for us on one of our visits and I found it to be highly addictive. The good part is it's all vegetable so you don't have to feel guilty when you go back for seconds, or thirds, or fourths as the case may be. :)

In Greek restaurants this is sometimes called Baba Ghanouj, and is served with fresh pita bread. I like to serve it with freshly toasted baguette slices brushed with a mix of olive oil, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. The toasts give the dip a little kick that I find brings it over the top. For sake of time on Sunday, I didn't make the toasts and instead served it with pita chips. If you have the time, however, do your self a favor and make the toasts, you'll be glad you did.

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Roasted Eggplant Dip


Ingredients
2 large eggplants
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and dry the eggplants then prick the eggplants all over with a meat fork.

Place in the oven directly on the rack with a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch any juices.

Roast for 30-40 minutes or until eggplants are collapsed.

Remove the eggplants from the oven and remove the stems, cut in half and remove the pulp discarding the skin.

In a food processor, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and eggplant pulp. Pulse a few times to combine.

Transfer the mix to a bowl and stir in the cumin.

Serve with toasted bread or pita chips and enjoy.

Source: Adapted from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells

Classic Hummus

When Suzie and I decided to have a Mediterranean theme for our celebration dinner, I knew that I wanted to make homemade hummus for an appetizer. I first tried fresh hummus when I was in college working at a coffee and wine bar. The owner was Lebanese, and every day she brought over several fresh servings of hummus for us to sell to patrons. One bite of Mrs. Cerone's hummus and I was hooked. There were several nights when I would take a plate home after work for my dinner. Just pita, carrots, and fresh hummus.

Since college I have tried several hummus recipes, and while few can compare to Mrs. Cerone's, this one comes awefully close. I found this recipe on Food & Wine's website and I've made some changes to spice it up a bit. This hummus is best served with pita chips or carrot sticks either as an appetizer or throw in some cheese and fruit for a light meal.

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Classic Hummus


Ingredients
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained with 1 tablespoon of liquid reserved
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Combine the chickpeas with the liquid, garlic, lemon juice, tahini in a food processor.

Puree until it makes a chunky paste.

 Scrape down the sides and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, cumin and salt.

Puree until smooth.

Place on a plate or in a bowl and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

 Serve with pita chips or carrot and celery sticks.

Our appetizer spread for the dinner party: Cheese, hummus, eggplant dip (recipe coming tomorrow) and pita chips. Yum!

Source: Adapted from Food & Wine

Mediterranean Chicken

For my birthday a few years ago, Robert gave me a copy of The Joy of Cooking.  If you are new to cooking or are beginning to build your cooking library or just have never heard of this book you need to buy it.  It is the Bible for all things cooking related.  And like the Bible it is huge, but don’t let the size of the book scare you away.  It is chocked full of great information and recipes.  It goes into details about how to use the techniques described in each recipe and also provides tips about selecting ingredients and more.  I love it.

The recipe I use the most from this blessed cookbook is Mediterranean Chicken.  I love this recipe for several reasons.  One, it’s super easy to make and is done in about 35 minutes including prep and cooking time.  Two, as Robert and I have tried to eat healthier we tend to eat a lot of chicken and this recipe provides enough distinct flavor that it helps avoid monotony.  Three, it just tastes good.  I’ve changed some of the quantities of the ingredients some to match our tastes and preferences, feel free to do the same.

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Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

12 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil in a jar), thinly sliced

5 kalamata olives, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Kosher salt

Black Pepper

Aluminum Foil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the tomatoes and basil into thin slivers and place in a small bowl.  Finely chop the olives and add to the bowl along with 3 Tbsp of olive oil.  Stir to blend.  When finished, your relish mixture should look like this:

Tear aluminum foil into four 10-12 inch rectangular pieces (large enough to encompass one chicken breast into a foil packet) and spray one side of each foil piece with PAM or brush with olive oil.  Trim your chicken breasts as desired and salt and pepper both sides.  Place chicken breast in the middle on one of the foil sections.  Spoon about a quarter of the relish onto the top of the chicken breast.

Then, take sides of foil piece and fold into a foil packet firmly sealing the edges of the packet but not suctioning in the chicken breast.  (Keep it a bit loose)  Repeat the process with all three remaining chicken breasts and place on a baking sheet.

Place sheet into oven and bake for 20 minutes. (At this point foil packets should be “puffed” up)  Remove from oven and let sit, unopened for about 5 minutes to prevent being burned by steam when opening foil packets.  Remove chicken breasts from packets and serve with relish remaining on top.  I like to serve this with fresh green vegetables, usually asparagus or green beans, and either cous cous or wild rice.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Source: Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Sevan G&G Cafe: A Wonderful Taste of the Mediterranean

Photo Credit: Sevan G&G Website

One of my favorite cuisines is Greek/Mediterranean. When I graduated from high school my parents and I took a trip to Italy and Greece. During my time in Greece I completely fell in love with the fresh flavors that infuse every dish. Ever since I am always on the look out for a good Greek restaurant in whatever city I am in. Sevan G&G Cafe will certainly be my go to Greek restaurant in Dallas from here on out.

Sevan G&G Cafe is located on Greenville Avenue just south of Belmont in a small strip center across from the old Whole Foods store. While the first impression from the street may not be much, don't let that keep you from walking through this East Dallas gem. The interior dining room is warm and inviting and a nice intimate size for a great date or double date location. And it's BYOB which also makes it an affordable date for those nights when you want a night away from the home but don't want to spend a lot of money.

Photo Credit: Sevan G&G Website

Robert and I were joined by our friends the Morgans for dinner at Sevan G&G earlier this week and we found the food delicious, and the restaurant quiet, perfect for some great conversation. We decided to start by ordering the Sevan hummus as an appetizer. The hummus was smooth with the perfect balance between garlic and tahini flavors and the boldness of the sauteed lamb and roasted pine nuts were a nice contrast to the smoothness of the hummus.

Robert and Andrew both opted to order the Gyro plate, which includes both sauteed lamb with pita, fresh vegetables and tzatziki sauce. The tzatziki sauce was perfectly seasoned with dill and other herbs so that they provided a full flavor without overpowering the yogurt. The lamb was well seasoned and not at all gamey, a key indicator of great Greek food, in my honest opinion. The pairing of the fresh vegetables and pita with the lamb provided a healthy, yet fulfilling meal that both men enjoyed thoroughly.

Missy and I both ordered the Chicken Tawook: seasoned chicken kabobs, fresh vegetables and vermicelli also served with tzatziki sauce and pita bread. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and the coolness of the tzatziki sauce was a perfect compliment to the spices in the chicken. I have always loved vermicelli that is a staple in Greek cuisine. Vermicelli is basically rice with small pieces of rice pasta that has been sauteed and has wonderful flavor and texture. Much like the gyro plate the guys enjoyed, our meal was filling yet light. On a previous visit Robert enjoyed a Greek salad and spoke nothing but praises about the blend of the vinaigrette, cucumbers, olives and shaved feta, which he insists is far superior to crumbled feta.

All in all Sevan G&G was a big success and certainly a place we will return to again and again. The atmosphere was perfect for an evening out with friends, the food was amazing and, thanks to the BYOB policy, we got out for about $30 a couple. We ran out of room for dessert, but next time I plan to save room for some Baklava.