These Greek-inspired zucchini fritters make great hors d’oeuvres or a light vegetarian dinner served with a green salad and tzatziki.
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Category Archives: Appetizers & Snacks
Grilled Onions with Chile-Nut Puree
These grilled onions make me think of Mexico and cebollitas (little onions), nestled in embers, turning buttery soft with a rich, smoky flavor. I like to wrap the charred tail around the bulb like wrapping string around a ball, then I scrape it through the flavorful paste and pop it in my mouth whole.
2 red bell peppers
1 tomato, halved lengthwise
1/2 onion
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ancho chile, halved, stemmed and seeded
3 chile morro (or 2 dried chipotles), halved, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
3/4 ounce peanuts, (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 pounds spring onions, cleaned, greens kept on
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
On a medium-high grill or over an open flame, roast bell pepper until flesh is completely charred, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a paper bag until cool enough to handle, then peel, stem and seed. Place roasted peppers in the bowl of a food processor.
Heat a large skillet to medium and toast tomato, onion and garlic. Turn every few minutes to char all surfaces, about 5 minutes total, and transfer to food processor. Flatten chiles onto the skillet and toast for 30 seconds on both sides, until shiny and fragrant (be careful not to scorch). Transfer to the bowl. Add cinnamon stick and pumpkin seeds to the skillet, and transfer to the bowl when toasted and fragrant. Add peanuts, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the mixture and process until a coarse paste.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and when oil is hot, add puree (be careful; puree may splatter at first). Fry sauce for 5 minutes, until darkened a shade and thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and transfer to a serving bowl.
Toss green onions with remaining teaspoon oil and salt and grill for 5-8 minutes, turning often, until charred but not burnt on all sides. Serve with Chile-Nut Puree.
Serves 4
Sweet Pepper Confit
There are many versions of sweet pepper confit, from Sicilian peperonata to Basque piperade. Summer vegetable confits, like this one are exceptionally versatile in the kitchen; the ultimate summer convenience food. Serve them on grilled bread as an appetizer or as a side dish with our Spice-Rubbed Skirt Steak or Pesto-Rubbed Butterflied Grilled Chicken.
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Garlicky Butterflied Grilled Shrimp
Leave the shells on grilled shrimp while they cook? Yep! Leaving the shells on during grilling adds to the flavor of the dish. Be sure to source domestic shrimp so you know you’re making a smart, sustainable choice.
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Rosemary-Parmesan Breadsticks
Instead of reaching for the Ritz, try baking a batch of these breadsticks to nibble on throughout the week. How do they stack up? Three breadsticks are just 66 calories and pack nearly a gram of fiber.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
5 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine flours, cheese, baking powder and rosemary in a medium bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and oil, and stir until mixture comes together. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly for 2-3 minutes. Divide dough into 18 equal portions and shape each into an 8-inch rope. Place ropes on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
Makes 18 breadsticks
Chicken and Mushroom Lettuce Cups
I find that finger food naturally slows down a meal and focuses attention. When you’ve got juice dripping down your wrist and have to reach over your neighbor for the lettuce platter, it’s hard not to have the meal take on a different tenor.
2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups minced cremini mushrooms
1 cup minced shiitake mushrooms
1 pound ground chicken breast
3 cups shredded Napa cabbage
Kosher salt and crushed red pepper
1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and minced
1 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
24 Bibb lettuce leaves
Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and chicken and sauté for 6-8 minutes, until meat is no longer pink and mushrooms are tender. Add cabbage, salt, red pepper and water chestnuts, and cook for 5 minutes, until cabbage wilts and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in onions, oyster sauce and soy sauce. Cool slightly and stir in cilantro.
Serve with a platter of lettuce leaves.
Serves 6 as a main course and 8 as an appetizer
Green Pea Coulis
Peas definitely fall into the “can’t get better than fresh-from-the-garden” category. Here, they end up in a gorgeous, Kelly-green coulis. Try with seared fish or roasted lamb.
1/2 pound English peas, enough for 2 cups shelled (organic frozen peas will work in a pinch)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon spring or green onion, minced
1 tablespoon tarragon or chervil, minced
1 teaspoon fresh mint, minced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor blend together peas, garlic, spring onion, chervil, mint and vinegar. Add oil in a steady stream until emulsified and season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4
Thai Chicken Larb
Larb is a type of salad made with minced or ground meat. This version uses chicken, but you could make it with duck or even pork or lamb. Serve this flavorful filling with lettuce leaves and let everyone stuff their own to give a flavor of the communal nature of Thai meals.
1-1/2 tablespoons grated lime rind
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano chile
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-1/2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
2 tablespoon minced shallots
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 head romaine lettuce (or 1 head of cabbage), leaves separated
Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and shallots, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Drizzle with juice mixture, stirring to coat. Turn into a bowl and mix with mint. Serve with lettuce or cabbage leaves.
Serves 4
Grilled Crostini with Fava Bean Spread
This nibble comes together super-quick once the fava beans are shelled, so you can whip it up and be back outside before the conversation even hits a lull.
Note: Fava beans need to be shelled twice–once from their pods and again from the skins that hold the bean itself.
1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, peeled and divided
3 pounds fava beans, shelled from the pod (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grill or broil the baguette slices until crisp and use a halved clove of garlic to rub both sides of each. (can be done ahead of time)
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and drop fava beans in for 20 seconds. Drain. Then slip each bean out of its skin and into the bowl of a food processor.
Add remaining 2 cloves of garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and lemon juice to the bowl and process until smooth. Drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and spoon into a serving bowl.
Serve fava bean spread with the crostini.
Serves 6-8