The Dish with Kris

Homemade Hummus

3/3/2023

I love hummus as a snack, a dip, or even on a veggie sandwich.
And especially as a way to enjoy all of the fabulous vegetables from my farmer's market. But I've gotten tired of the store bought versions and finally tried my own. And WOW! I may never do anything but buy a can of chick peas to make my own hummus in the future.
It was so easy, and so satisfying. I hope you'll give it a try, too!

Homemade Hummus

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup tahini
2 teaspoons garlic
1 lemon
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4-6 Tablespoons of Water
Salt (to taste)

Spices for Topping:

1 1/2 teaspoons pistachios
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon fennel
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup Olive Oil

For Dipping:

1/2 cup of carrots
1/2 cup of radishes (sliced)
1/2 cup of cucumber (sliced on the diagonal)
2 nann cut into wedges, or a bag of the small naan bread

Directions:
1. Zest and juice lemon
2. Cut radishes and cucumbers into slices
3. Slice carrots into sticks

To make the hummus:
4. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, reserving 2 Tablespoons of the chickpeas for the topping
5. In small food processor, combine the chickpeas, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and some salt. Pulse to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl and adding water 4-6 Tablespoons of water as needed to make it smooth.

To make the Topping:
6. In a small bowl mix the remaining garlic with 1/2 of the spices for topping.
7. In a small saute pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium and add the reserved 2 Tablespoons of chickpeas. Cook for 3-4 minutes (they may pop - so be aware).
8. In a small bowl, pour the contents of the pan and the oil over the remaining spices.

Plating:
9. Dish the hummus into a bowl, or spread onto a shallow plate. Arrange the vegetable and naan around it.
10. Spoon the spice mixture over the hummus.

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Disney's Ratatouille

9/17/2022

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It's late summer/early fall and you have a a TON of zucchini and squashes. What to do? The answer is to make a yummy Ratatouille! Yes it takes some time to clean and slice everything just so, but it is a lot easier if you use a mandoline. And it is so worth it. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com:

Disney’s Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS:

1, 6oz can of tomato paste
½ onion, diced
¼ cup minced garlic
1 T olive oil, and 3 T olive oil (divided)
¾ cup water
1 small eggplant, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 T mascarpone cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Spread tomato paste in the bottom of a 10 x 10 baking pan (note: I used an 8x8 pan and it worked just fine).

3. Sprinkle with onion and garlic, and stir in one T of olive oil and water until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper, working from the outer edge of the dish and working concentrically towards the center. Overlap the pieces slightly to display the colors.

5. Drizzle the vegetables with the 3T of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside the dish.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are roasted and tender. Serve with dollops of mascarpone cheese.

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Pesto!

8/5/2022

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What to do with an abundance of Basil in your summer herb garden (and seriously it’s like Little Shop of Horrors – it’s a huge basil plant!). Well, homemade pesto of course!
There are a ton of pesto recipes out there, so I decided to start with a very simple, basic one by Florence Fabricant with NYTCooking. I also saved a pretty jar from some olive tapenade which made the perfect vessel for my beautiful pesto (see photo).

Basic Pesto
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
2 Tablespoons pine nuts (or walnuts)
2 large cloves of garlic
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
PREPARATION
1.  Combine basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
2. With the machine still running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
3.  Add the cheese and process very briefly, just long enough to combine.
4.  Serve, or store in the refrigerator or freezer.
5. Or just mix it with some cooked pasta and some of your favorite pasta add-ons. For me, that's summer peas, sautéed onions, and black olives.

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Mashed Potatoes

12/5/2021

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For classic, reliable, and fluffy mashed potatoes, I rely on the tried and true classic Basic Mashed potatoes recipe from allrecipes.com.

Basic Mashed Potatoes:

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds baking potatoes (I prefer Yukon golds)
2 T butter
1 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes, and then drain. (note: I peel and pare my potatoes first. I don’t like skins in my mashed potatoes, and paring them helps them to cook more evenly).

2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and milk over low heat until the butter is melted. Using a potato masher or an electric beater, slowly blend the milk mixture into the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:
1. I get the water started before I start peeling the potatoes. By the time I’m done, the water is usually ready.

2. After I drain the potatoes, I return them to the pot. I add the milk/butter mixture in there and use the hand mixer in that same pot. Them I put it in a different dish to serve it. But this cuts down on making another unnecessary dirty bowl in a very busy kitchen.

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Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

12/4/2021

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You had me at bacon. Plus, this is super easy, presents beautifully, and is an easy way to serve veggies to a large gathering.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus:
INGREDIENTS:

1 pound (approximately 2 bunches) of asparagus1 T extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ tsp Salt
8 strips of thick cut bacon, or one per guest

PREPARATION:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place asparagus on a plate and drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.

3. Count the spears and divide into the same number of groups as you have guests, or at least 8 groups.

4. Hold a bundle, and starting midway to the top, wrap the bundle with one piece of bacon. Overlap it lightly at the top to secure it in place. Then place the bundle on the lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Repeat with each remaining bundle of spears.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the asparagus is tender. Serve warm.

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Roasted Beets with Feta and Walnuts

12/3/2021

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I love making this for the holidays, It is super easy, especially when you have a lot of other dishes to assemble. But that is also what makes it a great veggie side dish for any weeknight. They key to making this a time saver for you is to buy the pre-cooked beets in the produce section. To make this recipe I used 2 boxes of the pre-cooked beets.

Roasted Beets with Feta and Walnuts
INGREDIENTS:

2 packages of pre-cooked beets
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
½ Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup of chopped walnuts
2 T chopped chives
8 ounces of arugula

PREPARATION:
1. Wash, dry and place the arugula into a large serving bowl.
2. Slice the beets into quarters, or round slices as per your preference, and place them on top of the arugula.
3. Crumble the feta on top of the beets, and sprinkle the whole bowl with the walnuts and chives.
4. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a zig-zag pattern across the top of the salad, and serve.

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Gazpacho!

8/14/2021

I loved it when it was summer when I was little and my mom made gazpacho. I still equate the smell of it to a warm summer afternoon. And this summer we have had an abundance of everything – tomatoes, jalapenos, cucumbers… So when I saw the IG post from NYT Cooking with their recipe for the Best Gazpacho, I knew I had to give it a try. I have already made it three times before even sitting down to write this post. It is that good. It’s like drinking a summer garden.

The second time I made it, I ran out of my own tomatoes so I used heirloom tomatoes which I purchased with my groceries through Garnish & Gather, one of my favorite Atlanta-based businesses.

Best Gazpacho Ever!

INGREDIENTS

About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks (I used an Anaheim pepper and it was delicious)
1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
Salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling

PREPARATION
1. Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

2. With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.

3. Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

4. Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

VEGGIES

Homemade Hummus

Disney's Ratatouille

Pesto!

Mashed Potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Roasted Beets with Feta and Walnuts

Gazpacho!

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