Simple Sustenance: Flavors of the Mediterranean — Parsley, Dill, and Bean Dip with Feta

Published by Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Permalink 0


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by Renu Chhabra

“Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.”Pythagoras

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Pass the salt please.

We hear this often while eating meals. I sometimes think what life in the kitchen would be without salt. Nature’s pure offering and staple of any pantry!  It’s one ingredient that can put life in any recipe. Just a pinch of it does wonders. But it’s the right amount of it, according to one’s taste buds that makes a recipe sing….. not too much or too little. Hence the term, “salt to taste.”

Some overly salty feta cheese was the center to make this dip. It was too salty for our taste buds. Really salty. And wasting it seemed unnecessary. To give it a new life, I combined it with a few ingredients on hand. A can of unsalted garbanzo beans worked well to mellow the saltiness of the feta. Parsley added color and freshness, and dill enhanced it with its delicate flavor. Lemon juice and garlic brought all the flavors together.  I finished it with olive oil and a sprinkle of sumac.

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Simple Sustenance: A Healthy Bite — Cucumber and Radish Sandwich with Mint Hummus

Published by Sunday, April 22, 2012 Permalink 0

by Renu Chhabra

Renu Chhabra, author of Simple Sustenance column. The Rambling Epicure, Switzerland. Editor, Jonell Galloway.

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.–Albert Einstein  

In spring, I look forward to visiting farmers markets and produce stands. Spring vegetables are piled high in abundance everywhere — fresh, clean and inviting. Slender stalks of asparagus, colorful varieties of artichokes, vibrant radishes, and tender leaves of greens are just a few to name. In fact, produce speaks for itself. Just simple preparation and a few good ingredients are all it takes to make it shine.

Keeping simplicity in mind, I made this sandwich with fresh vegetables and mint hummus. The hummus packed with flavor and freshness of mint was good enough to complement the vegetables. Even though authentic hummus is not combined with any additional vegetables, the American version contains several of them: roasted eggplant, red pepper, sun dried tomato, and more. I decided to incorporate some mint to the original version to add a refreshing element to it. Another reason for this minty addition was my new herb pot from farmers market. Sitting at my kitchen window, it was gazing at me as if it wanted to remind me of its presence. And I couldn’t ignore the fragrant mint leaves, calling out for my attention. Adding them to the hummus gave it a light touch of color and a subtle minty hint.

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Food Art: Asparagus and Asparagus Sandwich, food photography by Meeta Khurana Wolff

Published by Thursday, April 19, 2012 Permalink 0

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See more food photo compositions at Meeta K. Wolff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mediterranean Food Connection: Bagels au saumon fumé, chèvre frais et pousses de poireaux

Published by Wednesday, January 26, 2011 Permalink 0

de Christophe Certain

Click here for English version.

Ingrédients

4 bagels (voir la recette de base des bagels)

4 tranches de saumon fumé

200g de fromage de chèvre frais

50g de pousses de poireaux, ou à défaut cives, ciboulette ou échalotes hachées

Poivre blanc

Mode d’emploi

  1. Mélangez le fromage frais avec un peu de poivre blanc.
  2. Coupez les bagels en 2 et passez-les au toaster.
  3. Tartinez les bagels avec le fromage frais, ajoutez une tranche de saumon fumé et terminez avec une couche de pousses de poireaux.

Bagels, Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese and Leek Shoots

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