With the holiday season upon us, the next few weeks of posts are going to be related to things that can help make your holidays a bit easier. The may be recipes that you can pull together in a hurry, cocktails for some festive cheer or gift ideas and suggestions.
The other evening I had my friends Sean and Leiane over for dinner. They agreed to be guinea pigs and try out some new recipes that I had been working on. I had recently been at a Puzzle Israeli Kitchen Encounters dinner, so I was in the mood to cook middle eastern. Instead of a traditional salad starter, I decided to take advantage of the fresh vegetables found at the St. Lawrence farmer’s market and do two middle eastern dips with fresh vegetables. Both dips are quick and easy to make.
At the Israeli dinner, I was given some Zaatar. What is Zaatar, you may ask (besides being an awesome word to use while playing Scrabble)?
Zaatar, also written Za’atar, is a Mediterranean spice mix, commonly used as a condiment. It is a mix of sumac berries, toasted sesame, salt, cumin, thyme, oregano, and marjoram and is thought to have some major health benefits, including increasing energy and improving circulation and mood. I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to use it immediately.
The second dip is a twist on the traditional hummus. Inspired again by my Puzzle dinner, I did a spin on the red lentil hummus we were served at the dinner. Red lentils are great, they cook up quickly and they are easier for people to digest than chickpeas. They are high in protein, great for dietary fibre and are low in calories.
I served both dips with fresh vegetables, including some cool coloured rainbow carrots and some mini-pitas that I brushed with 1 tbsp olive oil mixed with 1 tbsp Zaatar and the baked at 350 ºC for 5 minutes.
Zaatar Chive Dip (based on a recipe by Cafe Liz)
Prep time: 5 minutes; Chill time: 20+ minutes Serves: 1 cup
What you need:
- 100 g (1 individual) container Greek yogurt, plain
- 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp light sour cream
- 1 tbsp dried Zaatar
- 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
What you do:
- In a bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise and sour cream, stir
- Add salt, pepper and Zaatar
- Add chives and stir
- Add lemon juice
- Stir and place in the fridge for 20 minutes or more
Red Lentil Garlic Chipotle Hummus
Prep time: 5 minutes; Cook time: 15 minutes; Serves: 2 cup
What you need:
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1 cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chipotle paste (available at most grocery stores)
- 1 tbsp Tahini [ELIN’s TIP: if you don’t have Tahini, use peanut butter]
What you do:
- In a saucepan, add red lentils, water, and garlic cloves, over medium-high heat bring to a boil
- Reduce to a simmer and cook until the water is all absorbed – about 12 – 15 minutes – stir occasionally
- In a blender or food processor (I used my Magic Bullet), add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Tahini, chipotle paste
- When the lentils are cooked, add the lentils and garlic to the blender
- Puree until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides
- Refrigerate until ready to serve
