Food Mamma

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appetizers

spicy ranch roasted red pepper dip

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While playing in the kitchen once again with the ranch dressings from Hidden Valley Ranch, I thought it would be fun to makeover one of our regulars – roasted red pepper dip.  The addition of the Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing added a punch and made the beloved dip even better! The dressing provided just the right amount of heat and tang.

Spicy Ranch Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 red pepper
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 TB Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt
pepper
olive oil

Quarter the red pepper and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. At this point, you can remove the skin, but I prefer to leave it on.

In a blender, blend together the garlic and roasted red pepper. Add the Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing along with the mayonnaise and blend a final time.

nylon bhajia (potato pakora)

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It was nice to finally spend a day at home.  Things have been crazy lately and there’s been a lot of running around to do.  We finally got to sit back and relax on Sunday.  It was a hot day and it was nice to spend some time on our neglected deck.  We were hungry and needed a snack so I fired up the side burner on the bbq to fry up some pakoras (bhajias).

There are so many different versions of bhajias.  These particular ones are referred to as nylon bhajias.  They are thinly sliced potatoes, covered in a pancake like batter and fried until golden.

Q sat on his lawn chair and happily ate these as they came out of the fryer.  He devoured them, and kept asking for more – always a good sign.  To use up the batter, I added an onion that was thickly sliced.  These are perfect served with tamarind chutney or ketchup.

Nylon Bhajia

2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups gram flour (chickpea flour)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
handful cilantro

Add water to the flour slowly until it is the consistency of pancake batter.  Add the spices and cilantro and mix well.  When the oil is ready for frying, add the baking powder to the batter and mix well.  The batter should be a little foamy at this point.  Add the potatoes to the batter until they are all coated.  Fry until golden brown.

jalapeno hummus

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With my sister-in-law’s wedding coming up next month, we took the time last week to celebrate with a bridal shower.  It was a wonderful afternoon with her close friends and family spoiling the bride-to-be.  I think no party is complete without a great dip, so we made sure there were two.  I made my usual Roasted Red Pepper Dip.  I also made hummus which was served with mini pitas. 

A couple months ago, hubby was obsessed with a jalapeno hummus we had at a party so we made a few batches, trying to perfect the recipe.  This is the recipe which we came up with, although I did leave out the jalapeno for the party.  It’s easy peasy and perfect with bread or veggies.

Jalapeno Hummus

1 28-oz. can chick peas
1 cup yogurt
3 cloves garlic
1 TB tahini
zest of one lemon
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Dump everything in a food processor and blend until combined. 

an appetizer party for easter

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Our friends and I had such a great time with our Progressive Dinner a couple months ago, we were looking forward to our next dinner party.  The theme for the party was appetizers.  A whole meal of just appetizers!  I could not wait.  We took advantage of the long weekend and made a lunch of appetizers to celebrate Easter.  Each couple were responsible for two appetizers, none of which were coordinated.

Salted steamed edamame as well as cocoa spiced pecans were placed on the table for munching.

Q helped me make these shrimp gyoza.  These were stuffed with shrimp and loads of ginger, pan-fried and then steamed.  This was served with my new favorite sauce – ponzu!  How did I not know about this sauce earlier?  Ponzu is a citrus-based soy sauce and is delicious!  In the past week, I’ve had it with every possible food item, the bottle is almost done.

The boursin stuffed prawns wrapped in beef bacon were something I definitely wanted to share with our friends.  Even those who weren’t really seafood fans enjoyed these.

Hubby made up some beef shortribs in three varieties – East African hot, Korean bbq and a fusion of the two.  These are usually served up at any gathering we have and they were delicious!  The fusion ones were my fave.

Our friends brought over two different kinds of flatbread – cheese and herb.  These were served with bruschetta and a spicy hummus.

One of my favorite appetizers to order at a restaurant is the chili chicken.  Our friends made this without the crispy coating and it was delicious.

Chicken kabob skewers with veggies were grilled up and they were oh so tasty.

Our friends also brought over Aloo Tikki.  These are basically Indian patties made with mashed potatoes and herbs and spices. Served with various chutneys, it was a great addition to our meal.

We rounded out the meal with a bowl full of nutella almond ice cream.  It really was the perfect meal – little bites with amazing friends.  A meal of appetizers is something we’ll definitely be doing again.

cocoa spiced pecans

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These nuts just came out of the oven and I can’t stop eating them!  Not sure there will be any left by the time hubby gets home.  I wanted a snack but was craving so many things – chocolate, sweet, salty – I just couldn’t decide what I felt like.  I remembered a bag of pecans I had sitting in the pantry and figured it would be the perfect vehicle for all these flavours.  This didn’t take long to make and the baked nuts made the house smell delicious.  I figured I would post this right away so I don’t forget what I added.  Next time I’ll definitely be making a bigger batch, I just can’t stop eating them. Enjoy!

Cocoa Spiced Pecans

1 cup pecans
1 TB butter, melted
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake just until you smell the pecans.  Combine all the other ingredients and toss with the baked nuts.  Place the nuts back on the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.  Let the pecans cool for a few minutes before you devour them.

kale chips

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After reading about it on blogs, twitter and even watching it on television, I had to see what all the fuss was about.  People seemed to be raving about kale chips. I couldn’t understand how so many could get excited about greens.  Well, I understand it now!  I made a batch last week and hubby and I polished it off in minutes.  I made a couple more batches on the weekend for family and everyone loved it.  The tough greens when tossed in oil and seasoning and baked turn into paper-thin morsels that just melt in your mouth.  Check out recipes on the following blogs: Backseat Gourmet, Dinner with Julie, Gluten Free Girl as well as Giada’s recipe on Food Network.  Great served with Basil Mayo (mayo, basil, 1 clove garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper).

rosemary spiced nuts

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In a recent episode of Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate“, snacks craved by food personalities were featured.  Giada’s favorite snack were the bar nuts at Union Square Cafe in New York.  The hot nuts featured on the show looked so delicious, I started searching for the recipe.  Luckily, Nigella Lawson featured the nuts in her show Nigella Bites a couple of years ago, and the recipe was easily accessible.  Instead of using a mix of nuts, I used one of my faves, almonds.  The scent of these nuts mixed with the rosemary and spices filled the house and we couldn’t wait for them to be cooled before devouring them.  This delicious snack appeals to all as it satisfies any craving – salty, sweet, spicy, savoury.  My only advice is that you make lots!

Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts

2 1/4 cups nuts
2 TB coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 TB butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.

Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.

shrimp cakes

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Shrimp is a staple in our home.  It thaws easily and cooks quickly, it’s the perfect thing to pull out and make a quick meal with.  We had family bringing dinner over (lucky us!) but I still wanted to make an appetizer.  My fridge was stocked with peppers and onions and I thought this would be the perfect quick snack to make.  Hubby loved them and even raved about them to our massage therapist – always a good sign.  Can be served with roasted red pepper dip or garlic aioli.

Shrimp Cakes
Makes 12 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 green onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 egg
1 TB dijon mustard
salt
pepper
breadcrumbs

In a food processor, coarsely chop the raw shrimp.  Transfer to a bowl and add the veggies, egg, mustard, salt and pepper.  Add breadcrumbs, a little at a time, until the mixture can be formed into patties.  Refrigerate the patties for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Pan fry the shrimp cakes until shrimp is cooked and each cake has a nice brown crust.