Our version of tabouli replaces the traditional bulgur wheat with quinoa.  This salad makes a refreshing summertime lunch, and its nutrient-dense quinoa will keep you going through the heat of the rest of the day!

Ingredients

• 3 cups prepared quinoa (from 1 cup uncooked quinoa)
• 1 large bunch parsley, stemmed and chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 small white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 scallions or spring onions, diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately or slightly chilled.

Muhammara is a delectable dip, typically made with roasted aleppo peppers, walnuts, and lemon juice. Being in Texas, however, we mixed things up a bit and used sweet Carmen peppers (from Johnson’s Backyard Garden), pecans, and key lime juice.  The result is amazing!  Note that this recipe calls for pomegranate molasses, which really are a key ingredient.  Look for them at your local Mediterranean grocer (such as Phoenicia in Austin) or in the international food aisle of your grocery store.  You could also use reduced balsamic vinegar as a substitute.  If you can’t find Carmen peppers, use 2 to 3 large red bell peppers in their place.

Texan Muhammara

Ingredients

• 5 Carmen peppers
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon harissa or 1 teaspoon hot pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1/4 cup fresh key lime juice (about 6 key limes)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1.  Place the peppers on a baking sheet and coat lightly with cooking spray.  Broil on high, turning peppers occasionally, until the skins are blistered and blackened evenly.  Place the blackened peppers in a large bowl, cover, and let them steam themselves for about 5 minutes.  Remove the stems, seeds, and skins from all the peppers.
2. In a large pan, lightly toast the pecans.  Don’t burn them, but get a nice even toast so that the pecans become slightly fragrant.
3. Place skinned peppers, toasted pecans, garlic, harissa, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and lime juice in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Salt to taste.  Serve with pita, crackers, sliced cucumbers, or use as a sandwich spread!

This past weekend we hosted a small bourbon tasting with a group of friends at our house. Taylor and I have wanted to get more into and understand the different flavors of bourbon for some time, so this was a great way to sample several nice selections without having to stock our own liquor cabinet to the gills. We prepared several small dishes to pair with the bourbons. First up we had Blistered Shishito Peppers, which have a slight amount of char just like the inside of the bourbon oak barrels. Following the peppers was Smoky Baba Ganoush with carrots and olive bread and sweet, slightly spiced Caramelized Onion Crostini. For a more hearty course, we enjoyed Miniature Mushroom Wellingtons (recipe forthcoming). Last but not least, we had Roasted Peaches with Vanilla Honey Whipped Cream (recipe forthcoming also) for dessert.

Caramelized onions have an incredibly rich flavor and a texture that just melts in your mouth.  Properly caramelizing onions is a very long process, but the result is completely worth it.  The allspice berries give the onions a nice aroma and slight floweriness.

Caramelized Onion Crostini

Ingredients

• 2 pounds onions, sliced into rings
• 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 allspice berries
• 1 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 1 roll chevre goat cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan.  Once it is hot, add the onions, but do not have them more than half an inch thick – you can add more as the onions cook down.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the salt, and let the onions reduce.  Continue to add sliced raw onions in batches until all are reduced.
2. Add the allspice berries, reduce heat to very low, and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized.  This will take 40 minutes to 1 hour.  Remember to keep the heat low and be patient.  Remove allspice berries once onions are finished cooking.
3. While the onions are cooking, lay the sliced baguette onto a baking sheet.  Use a brush to lightly coat the top of each piece with the remaining olive oil.  Toast in an oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
4. Once the onions and bread are finished, put a small amount of caramelized onion on each piece of toast.  Put a small piece of chevre on top of each crostini.  Place back in oven for about 5 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then serve.

Baba Ganoush is kind of like hummus, but made with eggplant instead of chickpeas.  This recipe includes broiling the eggplant and using chipotle powder to give it a nice smoky flavor.  Baba ganoush is great as a dip or as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise on sandwiches.  Give it a try!

Smoky Baba Ganoush

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds purple eggplant, stemmed and halved
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the eggplant halves cut-side-down on the sheet and broil on high until the skins are evenly charred.  This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Bake the eggplant, still cut-side-down, at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.  The  eggplant flesh should be extremely soft at this point.
3. Scoop the flesh of the eggplant out from the skins.  Transfer to a large blender or food processor.  Add the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, chipotle powder, garlic, salt and several twists of black pepper from a mill.  Process until completely smooth.
4. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and mix in the parsley.  Season with additional salt if necessary.  Let cool to room temperature or chill slightly in the refrigerator before serving.

Special thanks to our friend Rob for this recipe idea.