Easter Ideas - A Refresher Course During A Pandemic

Brighter days ahead. This Easter will look a bit cheerier and a ton more hopeful than 2020. A year ago we were just getting used to lock down and coming to the realization that we weren’t going to be able to visit with family and friends for the holiday. Never in our wildest dreams (aka nightmares) did we think it would last this long. 365 days later, while there is a glimmer of hope in being able to gather in small, safe groups, it might not be the case for everyone.

For those who can, you may want a refresher course on how to entertain. This harkens back to last week’s post but dives way deeper. And since like all of you I haven’t hosted any events, I don’t have any new tricks up my sleeve. That’s when you have to reach back to the past and pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. No reason to reinvent the wheel, use what’s worked before.

I give you, Reminders of the Past & Other Helpful Easter Ideas. And if gathering with loved ones still is not in the cards for you this holiday, any of these can be pared down to help make the day feel more festive.

Get ready. This post is chock full of images and links. Let’s start at the beginning.

Setting a table

To me, it’s the one act that truly connotes a special event and rings in the feeling that guests are coming. This may be the first time in quite awhile that you have taken out your linens and tossed them across the table. I say, go all out and make everyone feel special this go around. Here are a few ideas for a fresh spring table setting.

Yellow, Yellow Burst of Sunshine Tablesetting

The yellows and white are so cheery, while the midnight blue anchors the place setting in a lovely pop of contrast.

Calming Creams & Bold Blues Table

Same sort of color combo but in a more calming tonality.

We will be eating outside in order to continue being as safe as possible. So I might take some cues from this table setting, Sunday Blues - of the Soothing, Swooning Kind. Plus this link also has a few recipes from which I might just take food cues as well.

I know we are all out of practice, but let’s try not to be lazy about the details. Take the time to finish off your table with napkins. There are various ways to fold a napkin, which doesn’t mean you need to be a magician of deft dexterity or a master of origami. It just takes simple folds, and then possibly adding an embellishment… or not. Check out these super simple ideas to put the finishing touch to your table.

Napkin Folding 5 Basic Folds - Countless Options

Maybe you have decided that you aren’t quite ready for a formal meal. Perhaps brunch or a buffet style setting might be a good option for you.

How To Set a Brunch Buffet Table & Napkin Pockets

Brunch Made Simple

Florals

And what would a proper table setting be without flowers? You can be extravagant and make various arrangements or you can keep it as simple as culling together a single color of tulips for single elegance. Need some visuals? Here you go.

Never Too Many Tulips

One big arrangement

Eucalyptus Burst - A Floral Spray 

Given the dire economic state, funds might be a concern, and that is completely understandable. An inexpensive way to use florals that will make a big impression - Mums. They have different varieties that can be mixed and matched for impact.

Mums the Word

The Menu

Sure you can have all the bells and whistles with your decor but nothing keeps them coming back like the food you serve. When it comes to the holidays people have certain traditions they like to keep, and some are even expected. JuanCarlos and I found this out the hard way during a few Thanksgiving feasts. You know me, I like to mix it up; some traditional, some not. You might have your menu already set, possibly with lamb as the starring role. But if you are still pondering what to make, fear not. Below are links to a variety of alternatives that hop just outside the Easter basket but still sing Spring.

Meat alternatives to lamb:

These are hearty and in the same vein as a lamb dish but slightly off the beaten bunny path.

Osso Buco

A Belly Full of Pork

Appetizers:

Pizza Rustica

A traditional Italian appetizer. Admittedly, this recipe is a labor of love. It is very rich and serves a lot, so I highly recommend only making it if you know you have guests that will enjoy it.

That’s right, it’s not actually a PIZZA, but a cake of sorts. It’s filled with layers upon layers of prosciutto, salami and ricotta cheese.

And some not so traditional

Tarts of Summer

Spring Asparagus Tarts
(Rolling and cutting puff pastry, mix together ricotta & goat cheese, parsley, salt, pepper. Spread over pastry and top with asparagus. Brush with garlic oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 400 until golden.)

Spring asparagus with cheese on puff pastry. This is pretty straightforward, and makes a great appetizer.

Crisp pastry, creamy cheese and the bite of spring asparagus. What’s not to love?

Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Ricotta

Oven roasted tomatoes are like candied jewels and pair perfectly with the salty, creaminess of ricotta cheese.

Salads: bright and crisp

Citrus Salad Bowl

Individually plated salads… a good way to serve during a pandemic.

Pretty in Pink Salad

There is something exotic and striking about the colors and textures of these pink lettuces.

Butter Lettuce with Orange, Blueberries & Crunch

Salad Baby: Little Lettuces Fresh & Crisp

Side Dishes:

Here are two side dishes that may not be typical but truly spring - Spring. And the best part, they can be served warm or room temperature.

Strings… of Bean, Peppers & Asparagus

Tomato, Squash, Peppers & Onion Bake, a one pot vegetable side that can be enjoyed warm or room temp.

I love how the sweetness from the veggies plays off the savory of the cheeses in this baked dish.

I hope you found this trip down memory lane useful. Even more, I hope that in taking from the past we can borrow some joy to light a spark for our future. As for our family, we have been extremely fortunate and so very grateful for our health, safety and beyond. This Easter we are lucky that the stars are aligning for some of my family to be able to come to my house. The weather is expected be nice enough for us to be outside. My parents and a few others have been vaccinated and the rest of us have been quite diligent about staying safe. We will still remain a good distance apart and wear masks when we are not eating. But we will be together, and that is a very good thing. I wish for you the same. May you be able to break bread with your loved ones safely and joyously.

Happy Easter and beyond.

Entertaining - How I Miss It | Make Ahead Appetizers

Our Miami crew. How we love sharing time with them.

This has been a difficult year. And it’s certainly not over. Although statistics are improving, we are still grappling with the pandemic and its multitude of ripple effects on our lives. From the obvious life and death fears to struggling to stay employed to figuring out how to juggle Zoom calls with toddlers, it has been challenging. (Newsflash: I don’t have toddlers but can only imagine.)

There are so many issues relating to how our lives have been affected, but the one that seems to really hit most people at their emotional core is the isolation. The inability to freely move about and spend time with the ones we love. I know this has rocked me at my center. I miss hugging people. For those you know me, to say that I am a touchy, feely person is an understatement. Hey, not in a groping way, in a caring way. ( Alright, maybe I do want to see how big your biceps are.) It’s a known fact that human touch has healing qualities. Which highlights how counterintuitive it is to try to heal people through a pandemic without that essential restorative, mentally medicinal element. Ironic and heartbreaking, really. But I digress, or should I say wandered off the road a bit.

I miss people. I miss my family and friends, (or as we like to call them, framily) and the joy of sharing a meal and good time with them. JuanCarlos has joked about how much free time we now have during the weekends, since in his mind we used to spend every one of them hosting parties. Not true, and an over exaggeration . But true, entertaining is in my DNA. From as early as junior high and high school I can remember wanting to invite my friends over for a meal or to play games and enjoy snacks. I preferred it over going to a stale beer smelling bar, filled with billows of smoke, raucous noise and tons of other people with whom I didn’t care to share my time. What a nerd. That that nerd would grow up to enjoy entertaining as a later career shouldn’t come as such a surprise. But here we are, without the ability to do just that. Yet, as we learned from last post, I still found a way.

In all honesty, I’ve been struggling about which posts to launch since so many of them feature groups sharing food. To post them feels either disingenuous or taunting. I don’t want to be either. But as I rummaged through photos, rather than feeling sad and longing, I instead felt hope and anticipation. So, I’m posting this to put out the positive energy that this kind of gathering can resume soon. With that wish at hand, it seemed appropriate to provide some options for make ahead appetizer ideas for your future event. And so, lifting myself up by my house slippers, I’m sharing a moment when we gathered for a few nibbles with our dear friends in our Miami apartment. These handful of simple appetizers might be the perfect strategy to ease our way back into entertaining after a long reprieve.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy one another’s company is to make the food portion as easy and carefree as possible. Serving appetizers that can be enjoyed cold or room temperature allows the host(s) to remain with the party and not in the kitchen. Pre-made and/or ready to assembly right before guests arrive is the ideal way to have everything finished, and allow the fun and conversation from being interrupted. You know I love putting out a big spread. Whether it be a multi-course meal or tapas style, I’m known for my abundance. But there is a beauty to simplicity.
And that was the focus of this gathering several years back.

Skewers make it easy to grab and go.

And don’t forget the drink. It’s also important to have a partner that does their part in hosting. JuanCarlos is always at the ready serving up beverages. P.S. also one of my favorite shirts. It’s a party wrapped around a party!

Just because these were nibbles didn’t mean that it wasn’t substantial. On the contrary, it was filling and satisfying. Every one of these dishes were made ahead of time.

Cucumbers provide the cool and refreshing, grape tomatoes the sweet and the sardines bring the salt. An all in one bite.

Sardine Lettuce Wrap Skewers

Food that you can pick up and eat are perfect appetizers. Wraps fit that bill, so do skewers And this appetizer combines both.

Using a good quality Spanish sardine and some fresh, crisp veggies made this no cook appetizer fast to prepare and easy to enjoy. Spain is famous for its high quality conservas; fish in tins. One of my favorite brands is Cabo de Peñas. Simply skewer Persian cucumber* rounds, grape tomatoes. Then using romaine lettuce cut into 3” pieces, tuck a piece of the sardine in each creating a taco-like envelope to hold the sardine.

*Persian cucumbers are smaller and have less seeds and better for skewering. If you can’t find those, use English cucumbers and cut them smaller. If you can only find regular cucumbers, then scoop out the seeds, and cut them into small chunks.

Pulpo -Potato Skewers

Pulpo - Potato Skewers
Pulpo, Spanish for octopus, is one of those items that I always buy pre-cooked either in a tin or vacuumed sealed. Trust me, it’s delicious and SO much easier than cooking octopus. The Mediterranean countries are known for serving the most delicious octopus, so you can’t go wrong with any from Italy, Spain or Greece. I have two favorites: again , Cabo de Peñas in a tin and the vacuum sealed package from Don Bocarte*. (Even the famous NY Times writer Florence Fabricant agrees.)

To make, cut small new potatoes in half, boil until tender but not overdone or they will fall apart when trying to skewer them. Season with salt and pepper, then skewer them alternating between potato and octopus. Drizzle with good olive oil. It’s that simple.

*Please note that the Don Bocarte vacuum pack is only available at Despaña Soho store.

Shrimp & Avocado Endive Boats

Grill or sauté shrimp that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Let cool, then cut them into small pieces. Cut avocado into small cubes, toss with shrimp and then spoon both into endive leaves. Make a quick creamy topping by combining either greek yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche with finely chopped red onion and cucumber and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Room Temp Bean & Veg Salad

Sauté small cubed red/orange peppers, zucchini and summer squash with red onion in oil, salt and pepper. Make a quick vinaigrette of crushed garlic, lemon zest and juice, dried oregano and olive oil. Mix the sautéed vegetables together with chick peas, cannelini beans, and pour dressing over the entire mixture. Serve at room temperature. (Of course, this can also be served warm, but the point is to not have to be in the kitchen.)

3 Bean Salad with raw veggies. A slightly difference version offering a completely no cook option.

For a completely no cook version: use raw red/yellow peppers, grape tomatoes and cucumbers plus black beans and toss with an herb dressing. Replace the dried oregano with fresh parsley, cilantro and mint.

Bite sized cubes of salmon

Sear them in a cast iron pan.

Grilled Salmon

Cut salmon into 2” squares. Season with salt and pepper and using olive oil, sear in a cast iron pan. That’s all this needs, or maybe a squeeze of lemon right before serving. This can be made ahead, refrigerated and served either cold or room temp. The small cubes makes these much easier to eat and requires no utensils. Pick it and pop it in your mouth.

Is there anything better to please your guests than a platter full of dairy rich bites? I think not.

Cheese Platter
The ubiquitous cheese platter. It never gets old and it’s everyone’s favorite.

You know what to do here. Place a variety of cheeses on a platter and fill up and around with crackers, nuts, fruits and jams. Remember color blocking and keeping each element together to create focus and visual appeal. Too much scattering just creates visual clutter.

And just like that you have a hearty table of nibbles perfect for no kitchen distractions. I miss all my peeps and this post gave me hope and inspiration for the next time, hopefully soon, when we will all meet again, and be able to safely blow out candles on a cake.

Although this may seem like a similar shot, it’s important to include because we can see John’s face and it includes JuanCarlos.

WAY before the pandemic when no one thought twice about blowing onto to the top of a cake!

We miss our friends and we miss Miami. And we are counting the days until we can all do this again, safely and with tons of love and laughter.

To wrap up, here are a few visual reminders of the sunshine, sunsets and the pure glory of our second home, Miami, and a couple of other reasons why we miss it so much.

Our favorite spot on Miami Beach where we place our chairs and towels and hang for hours.

The view as we walk along the miles of Miami Beach boardwalk.

The stunning sunset from our apartment. You can see why we love to sit on our terrace and enjoy a cocktail.

Another one just because it’s so calming.

Marinated Feta

Over the past year, I’ve been whipping up a little marinade for the plain feta cheese I buy. Of course, I still use plain feta in a slew of other ways, but for months I took real joy in serving it as an appetizer all on its very own. Feta has an intensely tangy flavor but it is a simple cheese that I wouldn’t normally serve on just plain. The way to make something simple sing is to joosh it up a bit.

I landed on the idea to smother it in flavor while I was reminiscing about how I used to marinate olives when I lived in Miami. Back then the city was not the culinary mecca it has become today, and marinated olives weren’t as readily available. I know that seems hard to believe given their ubiquity, but that was way before there were so many cool markets with speciality items or olive stations. So, I would buy a variety of plain olives and then make a citrus, spice oil mixture in which to marinate them. Heck, when you don’t find what you want or need, you simply have to rely on your own talents to create it. That’s what I did then, and continue to do now. That old Miami olive mixture made me think of how yummy something similar would be on feta cheese.

*Side note about feta that I just learned from my Bulgarian brother-in-law, Peter. Much like Champagne, the word feta can only be used when referring to the cheese if it is produced in a traditional way in particular areas of Greece. Who knew? Now we do. All other cheeses made in different parts of the world can only state that they are fresh sheep’s or goat’s milk cheese ripened in brine. So interesting, and a tidbit I thought I would share. That said, as much as I would like to be a stickler for food correctness, it’s much easier to write feta, rather than a longer description of the cheese. Is that bad?

Back to the marinade. As I stated, I’ve made this before and it was enjoyed by my guests, but I noticed a real uptick in its wow factor. Whenever I’ve offered it up, it has been a home run. So much so that I was forced to make it in much larger quantities. Once people get a taste of it, it’s like tortilla chips and salsa, you just can’t stop eating it.

The ingredients that provide major zing: Cilantro, lemon, scallions, parsley, black pepper, olive oil, feta, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes.

Ingredients

7 oz. Feta cheese (sheep’s milk cheese in brine. I prefer the French one, as it it softer and milder)
*if you wanted to double the about of cheese the below marinade ingredients will be enough

2 T Scallions, sliced thinly
1/2 c Clilantro leaves loosely packed, minced (3 T)
1/2 c Parsley leaves loosely packed, minced (3T)
1-2 Garlic cloves, crushed (1 t)
2 t Dry Oregano
1/8 t Red pepper flakes
Black pepper
1 t lemon zest
2 t lemon juice
2/3 c olive oil
a few twists of ground pepper

It’s the small touches of red pepper flakes and garlic that really bring a zing to this dressing.

Instructions

I feel silly telling you what to do, but here goes.

Cut, chop, mince, crush according to ingredient list above.

It is so essential to use the freshest ingredients, always, but more so when you are making a raw dressing like this one. Freshness and brightness are key.

Give the herbs a good mince, and the scallions a thick slice.

The zest and juice of lemon adds a brightness and acidity that rounds out all the flavors.

Gently cube the feta and place in an airtight container. (I prefer a glass container.)

Salty, briny, delicious French feta

You can make the cubes any size you want. I like small ones.

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together.

Crushed garlic

Dry oregano

Red Pepper Flakes

Add all the ingredients and whisk together until combined.

Pour over the cheese, lovingly.

Pour the mixture all over the cheese ensuring every last piece is covered.

Note, that there is no salt in the ingredients. That is because the feta is brined in salt and you definitely do not need any additional. However, since the dressing amounts above make about twice what you need to marinate 7 oz of feta, you can do one of two things. You can add salt to the remaining marinade and use it to top fish, chicken or pork. Or you can simply double the about the feta, which is what I do because 7 oz may be enough for your crew, but it’s definitely not whenever I serve it. When you are ready to serve this up, remove it from the fridge at least 15 minutes prior so the oil comes back to room temp.

When I say it can be slathered on everything, I mean it. Naturally, it’s divine on crusty bread. A no brainer. But I’ve seen guests dollop it on salad. Eat with grilled shrimp. Top polenta, rice and pasta with it. Need I go on. As a matter of fact, we social distanced at my sister, Alyssa’s house this past weekend, and we literally had a slew of foods that this feta worked so well with. Pasta with pesto and shrimp, chick pea salad with fennel and herbs, sautéed string beans, a big salad and grilled sausage. We all made a big plate and mixed it all up together, and amazingly it was a medley in our mouths.

I recently made breakfast tortilla/tacos from leftover roasted veggies and decided to add some zing by topping them with this marinated feta. It took these already delicious tacos to another level.

Roasted cauliflower, onions, sautéd spinach on corn tortillas topped with marinated feta.

I love when something takes on a whole new versatility. Marinated ‘feta’. It’s a very good thing!

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Carrot, Ginger, Coconut Milk Soup

Oh the woes of having to eliminate foods from my diet. The struggle is real. Sometimes we forget that our internal body needs looking after. All too often we abuse and mistreat ourselves as if we could go in for spare parts or replacement pieces, or take a pill and get better. It’s not that simple. There are many reasons why our bodies get out of whack. Certainly environment plays a huge role. Genetics another. And then, of course, there is our own care or mis-care. As individuals, our stories vary greatly. As for me, I will attest to the many, many years I worked crazy, long hours, went entire days without drinking anything else but coffee, ate pasta and pizza as quick fill me ups at all odd hours and got little sleep. Bad, bad, and badder. Those were typical days in my life of television production. It wreaked havoc with whole system.

When you are young, you don’t think much about it. You just go, go, go not realizing the damage that is being done. I don’t want to get all preachy. That’s not what my blog is about, but from time to time I do like sharing tidbits of info that show up in my life and are food related. So this is what’s been happening lately. As you may remember I have been eliminating wheat, yeast and handful of other foods from diet after I developed a reaction when consuming those foods. But then a sinus issue has been bugging me. After seeing several traditional doctors to no avail, I knew it must be all related to one thing. The fact is that most of my issues are related to gut health. Now, I can’t be certain that the past misuse of my body is why my gut health is poor right now but I would venture to bet that it has some serious bearing. I also don’t claim to have the answers. Each of us is different and finds cures and results in various ways. I have gone to different types of doctors, naturopaths, Ayurvedic practitioners with minor successes, but nothing major. In an effort to continue making improvements, I starting seeing a new naturopath. I feel confident that I will fix the issues once and for all. In doing so, he asked me to alter my diet by following the GAPS regime for 8 weeks to eliminate all carbohydrates and grains and any starchy vegetables, legumes. All the stuff I LOVE!!

It’s very restrictive, so after one week of following this regime, I thought I would go stir crazy. That’s right, only one week in and I was miserable. My stomach was gurgling and begging for something soft and warm… Like a big bowl of pasta. But alas, I would not give in. I decided that some sort of creamy type of soup would be my salvation and I needed it ASAP! Which meant I absolutely had no time or patience for shopping. I always have beans in the pantry which would make a great soup, but those, too, were a no no on this regime. Seriously, beans? Thankfully, carrots were in copious amounts in my fridge. Thinking, thinking, thinking, carrots and what? Other items in abundance in my house; ginger and coconut milk which seemed like excellent companions. They were on my list of “yes, thank goodness you can eat those”. Thus Carrot, Ginger Coconut Milk soup would soothe my soul.

Since my tummy was feeling delicate, I made this soup very mild in flavors. But this is one of those soups that can be easily altered to up the flavor ante. Much like my Faux Creamy Cauliflower Soup, you can spice this up, adding toppings or make it as thick or soupy as you desire. These types of soups are an ideal base to build upon, as well as just a great soup. I didn’t want anything too spicy, so I held way back on the ginger, but that is one ingredient that you could add more of to really bring out that spicy note.

(I wanted to give you a guide line for the spicer version, so I made a second smaller batch and increased both the ginger and garlic which definitely gave it a kick. I’ve given you both recipes below. Also, you can add ground ginger to fully round out that flavor, I just didn’t have any on hand.)

Simple stars of the show, or should I say soup.

Ingredients

Mild Version
6-7 c Carrots, rough chop
13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 c celery, chopped
1 c onions, chopped
1 T heaping ginger, grated*
1 t heaping garlic, grated
2 t turmeric
2.5 t salt
1/8 t ground pepper
3 T olive oil
6 c water (veg or chicken or broth)

Spicier Version/Small Batch
3 c carrots, rough chop
7 oz. coconut milk
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c onions, chopped
2 T ginger, grated**
2 t garlic, grated
2 t turmeric
1.5 t salt
1/8 t ground pepper
3 T olive oil
3.5 c water (veg or chicken or broth)

*Note: It’s important to grate the ginger instead of just cutting it into chunks. Ginger is very fibrous and when you blend it those fibers do not fully break down. Grating it gives you a smoother consistency.
** Note: The smaller batch is half the amount of the milder version yet the ginger and garlic are doubled which is actually 4x more than the mild version. Adjust to your level of spiciness.

Instructions

1. Chop up all the veggies in chunks. You can make these large or small, it doesn’t matter since everything will be blended together. However, if you want to soup to be ready quicker, cut smaller chunks so they cook through faster.

Funny, the vegetables in this soup are usually the base for any other soup AKA mirepoix or the trinity. In this case, THEY are the soup.

2. First sauté the onions and celery in olive oil. Then add ginger, turmeric, garlic, salt and pepper and cook over medium low heat until the spices are toasted. But careful not the burn the garlic and ginger since they are grated.

3. Then add the carrots and let cook for 10 minutes.

4. Add water or broth and bring to a boil then let simmer until the veggies are soft enough to blend.

5. Next blend the soup.

• If you are using an emersion blender, first remove about 4-5 cups of the liquid and set aside. By doing this, you can decide on the thickness of the soup. If you prefer it thick and chunky, don’t add any more of the broth back in. If you want it more smooth and soupy, then continue to add the liquid until you reach your desired consistency.

• If you are using a regular blender, use a slotted spoon to remove the veggies and add them to the blender with about 1/2 cup of liquid to start. IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember when using a blender with hot liquid do not completely cover the lid. It is important to let out some of the steam while blending or the top will pop off and burning hot liquid will splatter. Add liquid until you reach the thickness you want.

6. Once you have the desired consistency, add the soup back into the pot, add the coconut milk and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Thicker version. More filling.

The more cooking liquid you blend back in not only creates a smoother, more soup like version, but also yields more soup.

As I mentioned earlier, this was a very mild soup which makes it great for kids, too. Because it’s so neutral it can be used in several ways.

• Hold back on the adding the broth to keep it super chunky, then use it as a base purée for seared or poached salmon, or filet of sole. Top with crispy shallots.

• Add all the broth and make it super soupy and use it as a sauce for rice noodles, topping it with fresh scallions, cilantro and chopped peanuts.

• Spoon it over rice, add roasted shrimp and chili peppers.

Black cod with broccoli rabe and the thicker carrot puree.

This is the start of a beautiful carrot crusade. It definitely soothed my achy woes.

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Vegan Chick Pea Mash

First things first, please do not be put off by the fact that I named this Vegan Chick Pea Mash. This recipe doesn’t contain any weird, mystery ingredients posing as something else. I would never do that to you. I’m not going to take some soy based crap and try to turn it into bologna. NEVER. This is vegan simply because it doesn’t have any animal products whatsoever.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to how this dish came to be. I love a good challenge. One of my skill sets is solution providing. I love figuring out a better way, an easier way or simply just A Way to accomplish a task. So, when I was hired to cater a Traditional British Style Tea Party the major request was to offer gluten free and vegan options. Normally this shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, but remember the typical Tea Party food is finger sandwiches, which do not sit squarely inside the gluten free and vegan circle. But I’m so glad I was put to the test because it yielded some good finds. Like this Vegan Chick Pea Mash.

Since the event was all about finger food, I needed to devise a bite sized morsel that would fit the vegan criteria. Chick peas are a hearty protein, and versatile thus the top choice in helping me solve this dilemma. Chick peas being what they are, dense and round, make them easy candidates for rolling off the plate, onto the floor and then ultimately squashed under foot. Goal: No rolling. So, how do you keep them from falling onto the floor instead of your mouth? Smash ‘em before they hit the floor. And so I did. But you can’t just scoop up smashed chick peas with your fingers! They needed a vessel, and colorful would be nice, too. Introducing the baby bell pepper brigade to the rescue. Perfectly suited to be filled up with the robust, chunky flavor of chick peas; smashed, of course.

Since I had a good variety of other food offerings in different flavor profiles, I wanted to ensure that this protein mash could stand on its own with savor. The first thing that came to mind was garlic and onion, but then kept layering more and more flavors as I cooked it, adding cumin and turmeric, cilantro and lemon juice. Here’s how it went down.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can Chick Peas
1/2 red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 t ground turmeric
1/4 t cumin
1 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c Aquafaba (chick pea liquid)
1 T + lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
3 T olive oil

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil, add onions and cook until softened.

2. Add garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and cook until the aromatics are nicely toasted.

3. Add the aquafaba and 1 T lemon juice and stir until combined.

4. Add the chick peas, let warm through and then using a fork or a potato masher begin to smash them. I like it chunky so I smashed some very well and other only lightly to give different textures.

5. Squeeze some more lemon juice to finish, then add the cilantro.

You can serve this dish warm, room temp or cold. It truly does work well at any temperature. As I mentioned, the first time I made this was a for a catered event, so making individual pieces was the goal. The baby bell peppers as the vehicle to steer them into people’s mouths was a great choice. The sweet, crunch of the peppers perfectly complemented the earthy flavor of the chick pea mash so much so that it is my preferred serving vessel.

The size of the baby bell peppers makes it an ideal cocktail party bite. And because the chick peas are smashed, no rolling off onto the floor.

You could also, place the chick pea mash in a bowl, place on a platter filled with baby bell peppers and cucumber rounds and use it as a dip. Either way, these made the perfect bite size treat. I recently decided to test drive this again at a backyard party we hosted for our neighbors using the peppers, and then two days later for a small family gathering using endive. Happy to report; it was a hit with every serving.

The tower of offerings. Chick Pea Mash, Salmon Roll Cucumber Rounds and Watercress, Herb Butter Tea Sandwiches.

Since I had some leftovers, I served them up again using endive.

Now, of course, this dish can be used in a variety of other ways. You should know me by now, everything I make has to do double, triple, well, multiple duties. I had some leftover and tossed it over warm pasta. Naturally, it was yummy. You can spread this on toast and add avocado or tomato or both. Go ahead. Start your creative engines…

Postscript: In reading some of the comments, it got me thinking about this recipe. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before but this can be a heartier substitute for hummus in a pita sandwich. It’s chunkier and therefore will be squish out less than traditional style hummus. Keep it vegan and add cucumbers, sprouts, olives, etc. Keep it vegetarian and add some feta cheese. Just thought I would share the ‘stuff it in a pita’ idea, which quite frankly seems like a no brainer that I’m surprised I didn’t think of before.

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