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Fast & Easy Dinner: Feta-Stuffed Pita Burgers

partysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:50:39 -0800

Who says a burger has to be served between two buns? This recipe takes the traditional notion of the cheeseburger and turns it on its head. Instead of crumbling cheese over the patties, the feta is stuffed into the middle of a ground meat mixture. A soft pita replaces the classic bun and spicy arugula stands in for the usual slice of lettuce. The resulting dish, which is full of Mediterranean flavors, would be great for impromptu weeknight entertaining. To create a meal, serve with store-bought hummus, pita chips, and kalamata olives. Want to see the recipe? Keep reading.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Mediterranean Shrimp Salad

partysugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:50:37 -0700

When making quick and simple dinners, it's important to look to the grocery store for help. While everyone is familiar with using rotisserie chicken, cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp should also become a staple of your weeknight pantry. If you think about it, shrimp is practically as versatile as chicken!

Serve it with pasta or sandwich with cheese in between two tortillas for quesadillas. Or as is the case with this recipe, toss with a lemony marinade and plate with veggies to make a Mediterranean-style salad. Sound delish? Try it tonight and get the recipe now.

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:15:47 -0700

If you're a fan of our Summer salads, odds are, you'd favor this Levantine specialty, which I ordered topped with shrimp. Do you know what it's called?

Homemade Hummus Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:50:20 -0700

Watching Party plan out her Summer cocktail soirée has left me in the mood for party bites and nibbles myself. When I show up to another friend's bash, my go-to appetizer (especially during the hotter months) is a container of freshly blended, cool, nutty hummus. It's better than store-bought, takes relatively little time to make, and puts a smile on everyone's face - even the hard-to-please health nuts. My favorite formula calls for sautéing the garlic first to eliminate any sharpness, but if I'm in a rush, I'll simply throw the essentials together in a processor and give it a whirl. See both options.

Definition: Bottarga

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:00:01 -0700

If you enjoy caviar but can't dole out big bucks, consider trying what's known as the "poor man's caviar."

Bottarga (sometimes referred to as botargo), is the roe pouch of tuna, grey mullet, or swordfish that has been sun-dried, cured in sea salt, and coated in beeswax. A key component in Sardinian, Sicilian, and other Mediterranean cuisines, bottarga is usually shaved or grated onto pasta dishes or served with lemon as an appetizer.

Summer of Salads: Mediterranean Pasta Salad

partysugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:42:29 -0700

Mediterranean-style pasta salad has quickly become one of my picnic staples. It's super easy to make a huge batch and tastes better after the flavors have mixed for a few hours. When making pasta salad, I prefer to employ orzo. There's something about the small, rice-like shape that makes the salad seem modern and more glamorous. This recipe is my own invention: it uses two types of tomatoes, olives, green onions, and feta cheese. The dressing is a simple red wine vinaigrette. Feel free to look at the recipe as inspiration for your own pasta salad. Whatever you do, be sure to make a large batch because this salad is an ideal portable lunch! To check out the recipe, read more.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. of orzo
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
half of a lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 small jar sundried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
1 bunch green onions, dark greens removed, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the orzo according to the instructions on the package.
Drain well and rinse with cold water until the orzo is cool.
While the pasta is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil, in a steady stream, whisking constantly to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a big bowl, combine the orzo with the tomatoes, olives, green onions, fresh herbs, and cheese. Pour on half of the vinaigrette. Season the salad generously with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Add more vinaigrette until the pasta is moistened to your liking. Chill until serving.

Serves 10-12.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Grilled Tofu With Chopped Salad

partysugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:50:41 -0700

Steaks aren't the only thing that can be cooked on the grill - extra-firm tofu is exceptional when imparted with a smoky flavor. This recipe flash-marinates the tofu in a mixture of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano. The tofu is topped with a produce-filled, Mediterranean-inspired salad consisting of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, olives, and parsley. However, feel free to substitute your favorite in-season vegetables. For the effortless, flavorful recipe, read more.

Grilled Tofu With Chopped Salad
From Eating Well

Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, preferably water-packed
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup diced seedless cucumber (1/4 medium)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat grill.
Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mixture for basting.
Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Cut the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices and place in a shallow glass dish. Add remaining marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.
Combine tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, olives, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; toss gently to mix.
Lightly oil the grill rack (hold a piece of oil-soaked paper towel with tongs and rub it over the grate). Drain the tofu, discarding marinade. Grill the tofu over medium-high heat, basting occasionally with reserved lemon juice mixture, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side (see Tip). Serve immediately, topped with the salad.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 209 calories; 16 g fat (2 g sat, 11 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 9 g protein; 2 g fiber; 682 mg sodium.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Provençal Pizza

partysugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 06:50:59 -0700

Homemade pizza is as easy as one, two, three in this Mediterranean-inspired recipe. All you have to do is roll out the convenient puff pastry dough, top it with an assortment of classic Provençal flavors (like tomatoes and black olives), and bake until crisp and delicious.

Anchovies are listed among the ingredients, but if you can't stomach the salty fish, simply don't use them. For the rapid yet scrumptious recipe, read more.

Provençal Pizza
From The Nest

Ingredients

1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
3/4 cup ratatouille, caponata, or other Mediterranean vegetable condiment (drained if very juicy)
1/2 cup halved grape or other small tomatoes
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup roughly chopped pitted kalamata, niçoise, or other good-quality black olives
Scant 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
8 anchovy fillets
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) freshly and finely grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil, for brushing (optional)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured counter, roll the pastry into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle. Slide it onto a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Moisten the perimeter with a little water and fold up the edge to create a 1/2-inch border.
Spread the ratatouille evenly over the pastry. Distribute the tomatoes, feta, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes on top.
Bake for about 18 minutes, then arrange the anchovies in a neat pattern on top and sprinkle on the Parmesan.
Continue baking until the pastry is puffed around the edges and golden brown (check the underside, too), another 4 to 5 minutes.
Slide onto a cutting board, immediately brush the edges with some olive oil (if using), and sprinkle with the herbs. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Serves 2-3.

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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:15:05 -0700

For Ronda's belly dancing themed bachelorette party, the decorations will be opulent and rich with lots of gold accents. Here's how you can achieve a similar look.

Cover the appetizer table with a raw silk brocade fabric. Peacock feather placemats add texture to the tablescape. Serve the pita rounds, Turkish cigars, lamb flatbread, and skewered shrimp on luxe teal platters. Set the fudge brownie tartlets on a golden elephant cake stand. Fill an elegant drink dispenser with lavender peach bellini and let the girls fill up the champagne coupes.

Hang festive colored lanterns from trees or the ceiling and arrange an exotic bouquet of flowers. Belly dancing jewelry is a fabulous and unexpected party favor.

Source

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:07 -0700

If you're hosting or attending a belly-dancing bachelorette, there's a chance you'd come across this popular Middle Eastern salad. Can you name it?