Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

Tag: Cooking — Appetizers

  • Filled Filo Cups – The Twenty Minute Appetizer

    My dinner party cooking experiences are usually so chaotic that I am usually cutting dishes at the end of the night instead of thinking about what more to add.  However, a new exception to that longstanding rule occurred with my recent Downton Abbey finale party in which I decided to add a simple appetizer to my dinner table just an hour or two before guests arrived.

    Filo Cups - baked

    That simple appetizer was made with some leftover ingredients from my main dinner course preparations – approx. 3 oz. of goat cheese, 1 tsp. of chopped tarragon, and 1 tsp. of chopped basil.  To that mixture I added just a bit of salt and pepper, and placed approximately equal amounts of the mixture into a package of pre-baked filo cups, which have been in my freezer for some time.  

    Filo Cups - pre-baking

    For a much neater presentation, I could have piped the goat cheese mixture into the cups, but oh well.  I baked the cups for approx. 15 mixtures or until the cups and filling were hot.  

    Filo Cups - close up

    These filo cups are really a lifesaver to have in the kitchen – you can fill them with almost anything for a bite-size appetizer, and I'll definitely be experimenting with more variations in the future.

  • Patatas Bravas – Hearty Party Fare

    As a vegetarian, my options at Spanish tapas restaurants can be limited.  However, I can also rely on at least one vegetarian tapas dish no matter where I go – the ubiquitous patatas bravas.

    Patatas bravas are fried potato cubes with a spicy sauce.  They alone can often be a good meal for me, and I was excited to try my hand at making them when the stars seemed to perfectly align a few weeks back.  

    The first star moving into place was the Balaboosta cookbook, which I had checked out from my local library on the recommendation of co-workers.  The cookbook had a recipe for patatas bravas, with the spin of spicing the potatoes with za'atar.  The second star that made this opportunity occur was a friend hosting a housewarming party to which she recommended we bring a "tapas-style" dish.

    I decided to take that instruction literally, and off I went preparing patatas bravas.  I combined the Balaboosta approach with Serious Eats guidance and some personal health-consciousness to make za-atar spiced, sauteed potatoes with spicy aioli.  

    I prepared the potatoes by using the Serious Eats technique, but with far less oil.  This resulted in me boiling the potato cubes until tender and then lightly browning potatoes on the stove-top instead of frying them. 

    Patatas Bravas Potatoes Boiling

    Patatas Bravas - Browned Potates

    I probably could have further browned the potatoes by using higher heat or putting them in the oven, but I have to admit, I was a little pressed for time to get to the party!

    I then prepared the aioli, using the Serious Eats food processor recommendation and then hand whipping in the olive oil as instructed to avoid bitterness.  The aioli took less than a few minutes to make and was so creamy and delicious.  I really can't wait to make homemade aioli again – yum!

    Patatas Bravos Aioli in Food Processor

    Patata Bravas - Aioli seasoned

    As a final touch, I improvised some za'atar with sumac, sesame seeds, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

    Homemade Za'atar seasoning

    And then I sprinkled the za'atar on top of the potatoes until they tasted nicely seasoned.

    Patavas Bravas - Spiced Potatoes

    The dish was a major success at the party, with the aioli being used to accompany other appetizers.  I really look forward to making it again, though I may use some other spices as well, as I found the sumar / za'atar to be slightly sour for my liking.  

  • Upping My Dip Game – Divine Cannellini Bean and Edamame Dip with Tarragon

    For my annual Downton Abbey party, timed for the series finale, I really felt pressure to class up my dinner offerings.  After all, it was our final time dining with the Crawleys!  

    I spent the weekend preparing a multi-course meal, and thankfully, one of the appetizers I settled on couldn't be easier to prepare while also fitting the theme of the event perfectly.  That appetizer is the Cook's Illustrated Cannellini Bean and Edamame Dip with Tarragon.  

    Edamame Dip - Served

    The dip combines these named ingredients with some garlic, lemon juice and Greek yogurt to produce a really unique (and healthy) dip.  The tarragon in particular adds a wonderful, deep herb flavor that was new to my kitchen as I've never used this herb before.

    The dip takes just a few steps to prepare, which definitely eased my load for my weekend of cooking!  First, combine minced garlic and lemon juice and let sit for 15 minutes.

    Edamane Dip - Garlic Oil

    Second, pulse the remaining ingredients and garlic / lemon juice mixture in a food processor until well-combined.

    Edamame Dip - Ingredients in Food Processor

    Edamame Dip - Food Processed Dip

    Finally, season with salt and pepper, garnish and allow at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.  The dip can also be made a day or two in advance.  Yum!

  • Sweet Potato Oven Fries – Simple Breakfast Accompaniment

    On a whim, I purchased some sweet potatoes from the farmers market a  few weeks back.  I initially had in mind making a spicy South Indian sweet potato and chile dish, but ultimately decided to try a new approach.

    To Cook's Illustrated I turned, and found this healthy Sweet Potato Oven Fries recipe.  The recipe couldn't be easier to make – cut the sweet potatoes (I cut them into smaller, bite-size pieces than called for in the recipe) and toss with oil, salt and pepper.  Bake.  Turn the sweet potato slices over once or twice while in the oven for even cooking.  

    Cooks Illustrated Sweet Potato Oven Fries Close Up

    When the sweet potatoes are nicely browned, remove from the oven and serve!

    Couldn't be easier, but…the flavor was definitely a bit bland and without the crunch from oil, I don't these are a snack that fully stand on their own.  However, I can see these as the perfect breakfast potato side, so will be holding the recipe for that use in the future.

    Cooks Illustrated Sweet Potato Oven Fries

  • Pati Jinich’s Cooked Tomatillo Salsa

    While I have a pretty good tomatillo salsa recipe that I've used for years, I recently decided to try Pati Jinich's cooked version of this simple salsa.  I have never heard of cooking tomatillo salsa before, but I think I am a convert to this new approach.  

    Pati Jinich Cooked Tomatillo Salsa Ingredients

    The main difference with this version and my standard version is that cooking down the salsa results in a thicker salsa immediately instead of waiting a few days for the mixture to thicken in the fridge.  In addition, the vegetable oil used to cook the salsa down adds a nice richness to the salsa.  

    Pati Jinich Tomatillo Salsa Ingredients v2

    I think this will be a great salsa not only for serving, but also for enchiladas and other baked dishes because of its thickness.  Look forward to making it more and more!

    Pati Jinich Tomatillo Salsa Blended

  • Cheddar Scallion Jalapeno Drop Biscuits – Near-Instant Gratification

    Making a soup and need an accompaniment to make it a full meal?  Or want a quick savory option for brunch or breakfast?  Or just want something delicious that takes virtually no time to make?

    Assuming that one has to answer "yes" to at least one of these questions, the solution is Cook's Illustrated's Cheddar and Scallion Drop Biscuits recipe, to which I usually add half to a full minced jalapeno.  The recipe takes just a few steps – basically, stirring things togetherness (yes, that easy!).  

    Cheddar Scallion Biscuits Dough

    Cheddar Scallion Dough Together

    Cheddar Scallion Biscuits Ready for Baking

    These few steps somehow result in an amazing, amazing result – a savory, moist and light biscuit.  The scallions add a nice sharp flavor, the jalapeno adds sweetness and spice, and the cheddar adds another mellow flavor.  These biscuits are so good that I made them three times within the first month of trying this recipe!

    Cheddar Scallion Biscuits Baked

    The cooled biscuits last a few days, and can be warmed up in an oven or microwave, though their texture may become slightly more uniform instead of the day-off feature of having a slightly firmer crust and soft interior.  Regardless, these are an amazing treat!

    Cheddar Scallion Biscuits Cooling

  • Summer Corn Soup – Simple Weeknight Meal

    As this post demonstrates, 2015 ended on a very busy note as I am still catching up on recapping summer 2015 cooking projects!  This post could not be more summer-inspired as it involves my favorite seasonal produce – sweet corn.  

    As Alice Waters, the author of this recipe in The Art of Simple Food, notes "this is a no-fail soup as long as you have fresh sweet corn."  Her recipe requires 5 ingredients (butter, onion, salt, corn, and water) and could not be easier to make on a weeknight.  Pureed, it also had a nice, thicker consistency than an earlier corn soup I had improvised with a similar mild and sweet flavor.  I made some modifications to the soup when making it – using a leek in addition to onion and garnishing with scallions and Chinese hot sauce – and think generally this is a great base recipe that can be adapted to a variety of preferences.

    You begin the recipe by melting 3 tbsp. of butter in a pot (reduced by the 4 tbsp. called for in the original recipe):

     

     

    Corn Soup Butter Melting

    Then add the leeks/onions (I used 1/2 large onion, diced, and 1 leek, diced):

    Corn Soup Leeks Cooking

    While softening, shuck your corn (4 – 5 ears' worth):

    Corn Soup Corn Cobs

    When the onions are softened, add your shucked corn to the pot:

    Corn Soup Corn Cooking

    Cook for a few minutes, and then add 1 qt of water (or to your liking):

    Corn Soup Cooking

    Bring to a boil, then simmer until corn is cooked to your preference.  Puree in batches or use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency.  You can also strain the soup to get rid of the harder corn pieces, but it's up to you.

    Corn Soup Blender

    Prepared Corn Soup

    Corn Soup in Bowl

  • Super Smooth Hummus at Home – The Ultimate Technique

    Hummus texture isn't really that big of a deal for me.  I like chunky hummus, smooth hummus, and thick or thin hummus.  But recognizing that some of you are in fact texture-focused when it comes to your hummus, I thought I'd pass along a great tip that comes from Cook's Illustrated via Yotam Ottelenghi.  

    The technique is to add a bit of baking soda to chickpeas either before they boil if using dried chickpeas for your hummus base or to rinsed, canned chickpeas.  

    If doing the latter, put the rinsed, drained chickpeas into a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle with 1.5 tsp. baking soda and microwave for a minute or two until hot.  Then rinse the chickpeas under running cold water while loosely rubbing the chickpeas with your hand(s) so that the skins detach and float away.

    Cook's Illustrated Baking Soda Hummus

    The result is super smooth hummus without the chickpea skins that can otherwise add a course texture to the dip.  My co-workers loved this new hummus approach so much that I thought it might be worth passing along.  Hope you will find this useful!

  • Five Minute Summer Bruschetta

    I love summer.  I mean I don't love hot weather or humidity…but I do love the fresh amazing vegetables and fruits.  Kicking off this summer's fresh vegetable season was my first attempt at bruschetta – the Italian fresh tomato dish that could not have been easier to construct.  

    My bruschetta included a slight variant of the traditional recipe in that I used parsley instead of the traditional basil.  This ingredient substitution was inspired by a version I had the day before from a North Fork, Long Island grocery store – the parsley seemed to add an unexpected lightness to the dish.

    Thankfully I was able to recreate this version with great results – tart, sweet and garlicky.  Definitely a recipe repeat that makes for a great make-ahead appetizer and can be prepared in virtually no time.

    Bruschetta

    Five Minute Bruschetta

    Ingredients:

    • 4 ripe tomatoes on the vine, chopped
    • 1 tbsp. red onion, minced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tbsp. minced parsley
    • extra virgin olive oil, to taste
    • kosher or sea salt, to taste
    • pepper, to taste

    Directions:

    • Mix ingredients together, adding salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.  
    • Let sit for 15 minutes (or more), adjust seasonings as necessary, and serve with toast, chips or crackers. Can be prepared several hours or a day in advance and kept sealed in the fridge.  

  • Spicy Edamame Dip – Healthy Summer Snack

    For some unknown reason (except, perhaps, search engine optimization), the Food Network appears to be achieving more prominence in my cooking life.  I recently blogged about my first at-home soba sauce attempt, based on a Rachel Ray recipe, and maybe because it just showed up early in Google results, I also made a Trisha Yearwood spicy edamame dip a month or two back.  

    Spicy Edamame Dip Prepared

    The edamame dip is related to the soba dish in the sense that I had leftover frozen edamame after the soba attempt and I wanted to use it before too much time elapsed.  And so to the internet I went.

    I followed the recipe fairly loosely, in that I:

    • substituted frozen for fresh edamame, and the leftovers were not quite 16 oz.
    • used 1 tbsp. of lime juice instead of 4
    • halved the cayenne simply because I ran out, so threw in some red chili flakes instead
    • blended in 1/2 cup of the edamame cooking water instead of 3/4 cup

    Spicy Edamame Dip Ingredients

    My general reaction to this dip is that it was a pretty good dip base, particularly for cool, green summer party dips, but I probably need to add more herbs and citrus juice to really bring out the flavors.  It was slightly bland when I first made it, but I think more experiments could definitely make this better.

    Spicy Edamame Dip Served