In search of finger foods, Mediterranean dishes
Welcome to this week’s spread. We’ve got two requests, the first from the estimable B.L., who saved last week’s sausage pinwheels and is hereby asking for more. “My extended family LOVES finger foods — and we’ll plan occasions just to serve them — so we’re always looking for new recipes.”
That’s where you readers come in, and there’s enough time to send your favorites before the holidays are upon us.
Ms. L’s request brings to mind the lovely Spanish custom of tapas, appetizers that can be turned into meals. And this brings next to mind the ideas of “big small plates,” where guests spoon from one big, appetizing plate, onto their small plates. And that takes us to the popular charcuterie boards and from there Lyra, the Mediterranean restaurant in east Nashville, where original and ample dishes are brought out one at a time, the minute the dish is prepared, for everybody at the table to taste.
This conversation makes us hungry for a unique Mediterranean dish or two: entrée, side, dessert or bread. If you’ve got one, we’d love to see it.
USE IT UP
Although some of us favor precise recipes, because we intend to follow them to the letter, others among us favor creativity. On Katie Bostrom’s blog for her Annie James products, she offers an example of what wonderful things come from cleaning out one’s refrigerator. Ms. B’s explanation: “I really hate throwing out food, so dinner last night was an attempt to salvage whatever I could from the fridge before it spoiled.”
If you’ve done something similar, we’d love some guidelines from your kitchen as well.
Clean Out the Refrigerator Pasta
Chickpea pasta Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced Part of a dehydrated shallot
2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ container cherry tomatoes
A handful of kale, chopped
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
The last half of a jar of marinara sauce
The last spoonful of pesto Leftover pork tenderloin, chopped
Final scrapings from a package of goat cheese 1 tablespoon-ish cream cheese
Prepare chickpea pasta according to package directions.
In a separate skillet, sauté all the veggies in extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture reaches the desired tenderness. Throw in the half-full jar of marinara, a spoonful of pesto, the pork tenderloin and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
BAKED SQUASH
Here’s one more treasure from the substantial cookbook from Edith Parker
Middleton, “Recipes and Remembering.”
Autumn Acorn Squash
2 small acorn squash,
washed and dried 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper to taste Nutmeg to taste Curry powder to taste 6 teaspoons water
Halve squash lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Remove a small slice from the bottom of each half so it will reset firmly in pan. Butter the flat rim of each top cut side, and divide remaining butter among the scooped-out hollows. Season each hollow with salt and pepper, nutmeg and curry powder. Place each half in a small baking dish. Add a quarter-inch of water in the bottom of the dish. Spoon 1 ½ teaspoons water into each hollow.
Bake in a 350-degree F oven for 45 minutes or until pierced easily with a fork. Serve with extra butter. May be prepared ahead and baked before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
SOUP VARIATIONS
Now that soup season is in full swing, a young woman named Arysa exulted in the soups her parents prepare. Her perfect description of a steaming bowl of the homemade kind: “Soup is an inside hug.”
Marilyn Soehl loves to share recipes she discovers on social media, and this week soup is her topic of choice. The recipe that follows is a base for creamed soup, to which you add flavors and ingredients of choice.
Cream of Anything Soup Base
2 cups dry milk powder
¾ cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together, and store in an airtight container.
To make into 1 can of condensed cream of soup:
Combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 ¼ cups water, milk or broth of choice in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
Bring to a boil, and stir for 2 minutes until thick.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: Use water; add ¼ cup diced, cooked mushrooms to the thickened soup.
Cream of Chicken Soup: Use 1 ¼ cups chicken broth instead of water.
Cream of Celery Soup:
Use water, add ¼ cup diced, cooked celery to the thickened soup.
FRUITFUL BREADS
Gracious plenty is the name of the recipe game with Roseann Strazinsky, who has shared her kitchen favorites with many people for many fruitful years. Two of those breads complete Fare Exchange for this week.
Blueberry Scones With Orange Cream Cheese Scones:
2 (7-ounce) packages Martha White blueberry muffin mix
1/4 cup butter, chilled and
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix and butter, using a pastry blender until the texture looks like small peas. Stir in sour cream, blending well. Place on a floured surface and, with floured hands, press together and knead 3 or 4 times until a smooth ball forms. Pat out into a 6-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges with a large knife or pizza cutter. Place on prepared pans.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on the pan, and gently remove with a metal spatula to a cooling rack.
Orange Cream Cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon orange juice
Stir together cream cheese, sugar, orange peel and orange juice in medium bowl until well blended. Serve with scones.
Apple and Oat Bran Muffins
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
2 egg whites
2 tablespoon cooking oil
3/4 cup shredded, peeled apple Nonstick spray coating for muffin cups
Place the first 8 ingredients into a large bowl, and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg whites and oil, stirring until well blended. Place a couple of spoons of the dry ingredients into this, and stir together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until moistened well. Add the shredded apple, and blend well while stirring.
You can store batter, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or bake now.
To bake: Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray muffin cups with nonstick spray, coating well. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.
Thanks to you all, and please come back.