Pumpkin Hummus Recipe with toasted pumpkin seeds

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Chatty Kathy

Crunchy carmelized pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of chile oil make this creamy hummus a fabulous appetizer!

I roasted quite a bit of pumpkin this fall, when in season, and this hummus recipe is a great way to use it – pumpkin isn’t just for scones!

Chile Cilantro Oil

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tbsp minced seeded chile pepper (your fave – Jalapeno if you want a mild heat..)
salt to taste

Pumpkin Seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp grapeseed oil
1 tbsp brown or raw sugar
pinch of cayenne
salt to taste

Hummus
1 15 ounce can chickpeas – rinsed and drained
1 cup pumpkin puree (thawed if previously frozen)
1/4 cup tahini
3 – 4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 – 4 tbsp water
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste

To make the chile oil – using a small saucepan heat the oil until hot (about 3-5 min). Pour into a small bowl and add the cilantro and chile. Let cool before tasting and seasoning with salt.

To make the pumpkin seeds – in a small frypan toast the seeds in the oil JUST until they start to brown and puff up – around 5 minu7tes. Add the sugar, cayenne and and about 1/4 tsp salt. Continue to cook, tossing as the sugar melts and the seeds continue to brown. When they are a toasty brown, turn them out on to a plate to completely cool.

Finally – the hummus! Simply toss all the ingredients (except salt) into a food processor – I would start with 3 tbsp each of the lemon juice and water and check for consistency – adding more if necessary. Give it all a good whir until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with more liquid, adding salt if you like.

Serve with pita crisps, tortilla chips, rice crackers or vegetables! A winner all around.

Shrimp Cocktail

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Chatty Kathy

I love shrimp cocktail ….. so why not make it at home instead of buying that frozen ring with the canned cocktail sauce?? I get it, when you are in a hurry, or just need to pick something up – those work. If you have a few minutes though, and really only a few moments, make your own at home, infusing the shrimp with flavour along the way ….

Soooo delicious!

Poached Shrimp

3 cups water

1 cup your favourite white wine (dry)

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

2 tsp salt

1 1lb bag of frozen shrimp

Pour all ingredients except shrimp into a medium saucepan, and heat to boiling. Turn down the heat and allow flavours to simmer and blend for about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, stir, and cover with a lid. Remove from heat and allow shrimp to poach for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them, you don’t want them to do any more than turn pink. Strain the shrimp out and put in fridge to completely cool.

Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup (heaping) horseradish

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

juice and zest of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients and set aside to serve with shrimp

Roasted Squash Soup with Chipotle & Chorizo

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Chatty Kathy

It is squash season and soup is the best way to enjoy those cool fall nights.

1 butternut squash

1 red onion

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 chorizo sausage

2 tsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce

cilantro, roughly chopped

green onion, sliced

Quarter a whole squash lengthwise, quarter the onion, & drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast at 375 until fork tender.

While the squash and onion are roasting, remove chorizo from casing, and crumble into soup pot. Fry until sausage is crispy, and allow to drain on a paper towel. Drain any residual grease from pot, but do not clean.

In same soup pot heat up chicken or vegetable stock. When squash and onions are fork tender take them out of the oven and remove skins and put the pulp into the pot. Simmer until quite tender.

Using an immersion blender puree until smooth. (Alternatively you could use a blender and blend in small batches, but always remember to leave room for the steam to escape out the lid or it will explode and you and your kitchen will be covered in hot, steamy soup …. NOT a good thing).

Return to simmer, and taste – adjust for seasonings with salt, pepper and if you like it spicy, add a bit more chipotle.

Garnish with cilantro, green onion and crispy chorizo.

Serve as a starter course or a whole meal with fresh hot baking powder biscuits.

Use your imagination – all soup recipes are just a starting point. Tonight’s version of this soup included some leftovers …. in this case I had some leftover stewed yellow heirloom tomatoes with squash (yum yum), and a little bit of chipotle chicken leftover, so they went into the pot before using the immersion blender.

Salsa Verde

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Chatty Kathy

This is great served as an appetizer with taco chips, drizzled over eggs and served as a topping for any meat.

1 pound tomatillos – husked and washed

1 large white onion, sliced thickly

4 cloves garlic

2 jalapenos

1/3 bunch cilantro

We like our salsa grill roasted, so everything but the cilantro gets a little time on the grill before hitting the blender. Give it a zap or two until purified. Taste for seasoning and adjust a bit if you need to – adding salt and pepper to your preference.

If you don’t have a grill handy you could either use a comal, as they do in Mexico, which is just a simple flat fry pan, or your own favorite fry pan. Nothing wrong with just blending it all fresh either – try it both ways and see which you like best.

This can be processed in a hot water bath to preserve it for the winter, or put it in the freezer. Either way works really well. Bring it to a boil on the stovetop prior to processing and use hot jars. If you do a hot water bath, make sure your jars and seals are all sterilized and the seals are new – place carefully in hot water bath with 2 inches water over top of the jar and process pint jars for 20 minutes.

Sun Dried Tomato Brie

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Chatty Kathy

Brie is a favorite appeitzer, whether served hot and oozing, or cold on a cheese platter. This is one of our favorites – always a hit to take when you need a quick easy appetizer.

minced sun dried tomatoes

generous sprinkling of fresh herbs, minced (parsley, oregano and basil work well)

finely chopped fresh chives

finely chopped fresh fresh garlic

salt and pepper

lemon

olive oil

Depending on the size of the brie wheel you have – mince up enough of the toppings to generously cover the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, squeeze a bit of lemon over, and top with salt and pepper.

Heat in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes, just until the cheese starts to bulge against the rind. Serve with fresh baguette, toast rounds or your favorite cracker.

This also works really well on the grill if you have a good heat resistant container to both warm and serve in.

Tomatillo Corn Salsa/Relish

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Chatty Kathy

Are you wondering what to do with a prolific crop of tomatillo plants?? We make lots of Salsa Verde to can for the winter months, and love it in a fresh cilantro salsa also, but this dish is incredibly good – serve with taco chips or as we did – over grilled steaks that have had an ancho chile rub applied before grilling. It would be equally tasty served with grilled chicken or fish. My husband loved it just as a salad!

8 medium tomatillos, husked and chopped

2 tbsp red onion, finely diced

1/2 jalapeno – seeded and diced (use the seeds if you like it really spicy, but taste before adding them!)

3/4 cup of corn, removed from cob (for extra flavour grill the corn first!)

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients and toss to blend. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary – you won’t believe how fresh and delicious this is.

Dukka

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Chatty Kathy

Ready for serving

Dukka/Dukkah? You say Dukka? What the heck is that??? It is a blend of Middle Eastern spices that you can use in so many ways. I like to keep a jar of it on hand. If you have unexpected guests get it out with some good olive oil and a chunk of bread and you have an appetizer ready.

Use it as a rub on meats before grilling, blend it with some oil and vinegar for an instant salad dressing, mix it with good mayonnaise and you have a fantastic spread for sandwiches, burgers or a dip for vegetables – the possibilities are endless.

2/3 cup almonds

1/3 cup hazelnuts

2 tbsp sesame seeds

4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp celery salt

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

cayenne pepper to taste

Toast almonds on baking sheet until golden brown and set aside

Toast hazelnuts until golden, then rub in a dish towel to remove most of the skin

Toast sesame seeds until golden

Lightly heat cumin seeds and coriander seeds just until fragrant

When everything has roasted/toasted and been prepped allow it to cool – then pulse in food processor (or use a mortar and pestle) until you have a powdery mixture with the occasional chunk of nut left for texture.

To serve as an appetizer just cut up chunks of bread into bite size pieces and set out 2 bowls – one of oil, and one of dukka. Dip bread into the oil, then into the spice.

Your first taste might have you puzzled, but wanting more – next thing you know – addicted!

Mexican Black Beans

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Chatty Kathy

2 tbs olive oil

1 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed very well

½ white onion finely diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

½ minced Serrano chile

½ to ¾ cup chicken stock

Juice of ½ lime

3-4 tbsp minced cilantro

S&P to taste

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and minced chile. Saute for a few minutes, then add black beans, chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until beans are heated through and the flavours have had a bit of time to meld. Puree in a blender, return to the sauté pan and let cook for a further few minutes. Add juice of ½ lime, chopped cilantro and taste again. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

p.s. I am not sure if any photo of black beans can do the flavour justice, but trust me … these are delicious!!

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