Hey ya'll. I'm dining alfresco tonight and I'm always on the search for good recipes that I can make ahead. I discovered a couple good recipes and thought I'd share.
Tonight's menu includes:
- Bubbly with Lime Basil Sorbet*
- Marinated Feta (adapted from Dawn NYS)
- Hummus with Lemon & Yogurt
- Tomato Confit
* Not sure if it's a great pairing with the other dishes but I love this recipe so much...it's light and refreshing and perfect with bubbles.
FRESH LIME-BASIL SORBET
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (8 to 10 limes)
1 cup water
1 cup simple sugar syrup (1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water, boiled then cooled)
12 whole basil leaves
1 egg white (optional) Combine all ingredients, except egg white, into a freezer friendly container and freeze 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer and allow to soften a little. Put chunks of frozen mixture into a food processor and process until all crystals have disappeared and mixture is smooth. Re-pack into container and keep frozen until needed. This will keep for up to 2 months. If you prefer a lighter, less icy sorbet, add 1 egg white during processing. Yield: 4 Servings
Recipe from the Food Network.
Serve champagne with a dollop of the sorbet. Perfect for brunches, showers, etc.
*********
Marinated Feta with Roasted Red Peppers (Dawn NYS)
1 lb Feta cheese, cut into cubes
1 c Fresh black Greek olives, pitted
2 Roasted red bell peppers
1/2 c Olive oil
1 Small red onion, diced
2 ts Minced garlic
1 tb Balsamic vinegar
2 ts Fresh thyme
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
*Combine the peppers, feta and olives in a large bowl. Add the olive oil
and toss gently. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently again.
Adjust seasonings, cover and chill at least 5 hours before serving.
Serve this with toasted pita bread as an appetizer.
(I'm not a roasted red pepper fan, so I skipped that. Doubled the dressing, and cut back the feta in half--it's a lot of feta. I had some capers on hand so I threw those in too. They add nice visual appeal.)
***
I discovered this great hummus recipe over at Epicurious. You'll notice it eliminates the olive oil and replaces it with yogurt. It's so incredibly light and fluffy...this is my go to recipe for sure!
Hummus with Lemon & Yogurt
In this modified version of the Middle Eastern garbanzo bean dip, yogurt is used to replace some of the high-fat tahini (sesame seed paste). The dip is great with fresh vegetables or toasted pita bread wedges.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Servings: Makes 1 1/2 cups.
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Ingredients2 large garlic cloves
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Preparation
Mince garlic in processor. Add remaining ingredients; blend until coarse puree forms, occasionally scraping down sides of work bowl. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Note: I added 1 tablespoon hot water to loosen it up a little.
*******
This tomato confit recipe has me in orbit. It's so pretty, I had to take a photo. (See attached) I'm picturing these tomatoes on bread schmeared with goat cheese, topped with the confit. Mmmm...
Cherry Tomato Confit
Makes 2 1/2 cups
Classically, a confit is a duck cooked slowly in its own fat, but the word has taken on the meaning of almost any food cooked slowly in fat or oil. The tomatoes need to roast in a low oven for a long time, but otherwise this recipe is easy to make and can be made well ahead.
These tomatoes, drained of most of the oil, would also be delicious tossed into a pasta with chunks of fresh goat cheese. Save the oil that you drain from the tomatoes and use it to make vinaigrettes, or drizzle over roasted or grilled vegetables or fish.
1 1/2 pounds (3 half-pint baskets) cherry tomatoes, such as Sweet 100, stems removed
1 cup olive oil
3 3-inch rosemary sprigs
6 thyme sprigs
6 peeled garlic cloves
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 225°F.
Put the tomatoes in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the oil over the tomatoes, add the herb sprigs and garlic cloves, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, until the tomatoes are swollen and the skins are wrinkled, about 3 hours.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, allow to cool, then pour into a small bowl. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight, bringing the confit back to room temperature when you are ready to serve.
When you are ready to serve, pour the tomatoes into a sieve set over a bowl, reserving both the tomatoes and the oil. Place the drained tomatoes in a small bowl, discarding the herb sprigs and the garlic cloves. Add the vinegar, chopped thyme, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil (reserving the remaining oil for another use.) Gently mix, being careful not to break up the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(I bumped up the heat to 325 and cooked them for about an hour. Towards the end, keep a careful watch to prevent the tomato sugars from charring.)
Tonight's menu includes:
- Bubbly with Lime Basil Sorbet*
- Marinated Feta (adapted from Dawn NYS)
- Hummus with Lemon & Yogurt
- Tomato Confit
* Not sure if it's a great pairing with the other dishes but I love this recipe so much...it's light and refreshing and perfect with bubbles.
FRESH LIME-BASIL SORBET
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (8 to 10 limes)
1 cup water
1 cup simple sugar syrup (1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water, boiled then cooled)
12 whole basil leaves
1 egg white (optional) Combine all ingredients, except egg white, into a freezer friendly container and freeze 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer and allow to soften a little. Put chunks of frozen mixture into a food processor and process until all crystals have disappeared and mixture is smooth. Re-pack into container and keep frozen until needed. This will keep for up to 2 months. If you prefer a lighter, less icy sorbet, add 1 egg white during processing. Yield: 4 Servings
Recipe from the Food Network.
Serve champagne with a dollop of the sorbet. Perfect for brunches, showers, etc.
*********
Marinated Feta with Roasted Red Peppers (Dawn NYS)
1 lb Feta cheese, cut into cubes
1 c Fresh black Greek olives, pitted
2 Roasted red bell peppers
1/2 c Olive oil
1 Small red onion, diced
2 ts Minced garlic
1 tb Balsamic vinegar
2 ts Fresh thyme
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
*Combine the peppers, feta and olives in a large bowl. Add the olive oil
and toss gently. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently again.
Adjust seasonings, cover and chill at least 5 hours before serving.
Serve this with toasted pita bread as an appetizer.
(I'm not a roasted red pepper fan, so I skipped that. Doubled the dressing, and cut back the feta in half--it's a lot of feta. I had some capers on hand so I threw those in too. They add nice visual appeal.)
***
I discovered this great hummus recipe over at Epicurious. You'll notice it eliminates the olive oil and replaces it with yogurt. It's so incredibly light and fluffy...this is my go to recipe for sure!
Hummus with Lemon & Yogurt
In this modified version of the Middle Eastern garbanzo bean dip, yogurt is used to replace some of the high-fat tahini (sesame seed paste). The dip is great with fresh vegetables or toasted pita bread wedges.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Servings: Makes 1 1/2 cups.
subscribe to Bon Appétit
Ingredients2 large garlic cloves
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Preparation
Mince garlic in processor. Add remaining ingredients; blend until coarse puree forms, occasionally scraping down sides of work bowl. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Note: I added 1 tablespoon hot water to loosen it up a little.
*******
This tomato confit recipe has me in orbit. It's so pretty, I had to take a photo. (See attached) I'm picturing these tomatoes on bread schmeared with goat cheese, topped with the confit. Mmmm...
Cherry Tomato Confit
Makes 2 1/2 cups
Classically, a confit is a duck cooked slowly in its own fat, but the word has taken on the meaning of almost any food cooked slowly in fat or oil. The tomatoes need to roast in a low oven for a long time, but otherwise this recipe is easy to make and can be made well ahead.
These tomatoes, drained of most of the oil, would also be delicious tossed into a pasta with chunks of fresh goat cheese. Save the oil that you drain from the tomatoes and use it to make vinaigrettes, or drizzle over roasted or grilled vegetables or fish.
1 1/2 pounds (3 half-pint baskets) cherry tomatoes, such as Sweet 100, stems removed
1 cup olive oil
3 3-inch rosemary sprigs
6 thyme sprigs
6 peeled garlic cloves
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 225°F.
Put the tomatoes in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the oil over the tomatoes, add the herb sprigs and garlic cloves, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, until the tomatoes are swollen and the skins are wrinkled, about 3 hours.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, allow to cool, then pour into a small bowl. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight, bringing the confit back to room temperature when you are ready to serve.
When you are ready to serve, pour the tomatoes into a sieve set over a bowl, reserving both the tomatoes and the oil. Place the drained tomatoes in a small bowl, discarding the herb sprigs and the garlic cloves. Add the vinegar, chopped thyme, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil (reserving the remaining oil for another use.) Gently mix, being careful not to break up the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(I bumped up the heat to 325 and cooked them for about an hour. Towards the end, keep a careful watch to prevent the tomato sugars from charring.)