Healthy Hors d'oeuvres for the Holidays and Beyond

When I taught my pop-up cooking classes for Metro Cooking DC this weekend, I was sure to include recipes that would be great for all of the entertaining that takes place this month. I decided to showcase foods that taste great, look festive, appeal to a wide range of tastes, and have lasting power - meaning they would serve my students far beyond Hanukkah and Christmas and into the new year.  I ended up choosing some of my favorites from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook and The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook. I turn to these dishes time and time again for everything from book signings to housewarmings. In addition to being satisfying and succulent, entertaining these recipes from my Party Hors d'oeuvres class will save money, time, and calories. 

Notes:

•  I use Arianna Trading Company's 100% Koroneiki organic olive oil from Crete for all three hors d'oeuvres.
• These recipes serve 2 people each...you will want to multiply them to feed your crowd appropriately....

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Silky Hummus with Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds/

Hummus bil tahini wa zabadi

This recipe is from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. You can find a recipe for traditional hummus on her YouTube channel. If you are a fan of traditional hummus, you’ll love this extra creamy version studded with pretty, ruby-colored pomegranate seeds. You can make large quantities of this hummus and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

1 cup cooked or no-salt-added canned chickpeas

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons tahini (sesame purée)

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt or salt

¼  cup (115 g) plain Greek or plain, full-fat yogurt

Handful of pomegranate seeds

Place the chickpeas in a food processor, reserving a few for garnish. Add the garlic, tahini, olive oil, and salt to the food processor. Purée until smooth.

Add water, tablespoon by tablespoon, to get a creamy consistency. You should need less than 2 Tablespoons in total. Scrape down the sides of the food processor, add the yogurt, and purée for 1 to 2 additional minutes. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Scoop the hummus onto a medium-size plate. Smooth out the top and make a dent in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top.

Yield: 2 servings

Mediterranean Tradition

Serve dips and purées with raw vegetable crudités instead of bread for a more nutritious snack or appetizer.

Pomegranate, Roasted Red Pepper, and Walnut Dip/Muhammara

This recipe is from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. You can find this recipe on her YouTube channel as well.  This piquant, sweet and sour dip has origins in Persia and is now popular across the Middle East and in Turkey. Recently touted as a “beauty dip” by American magazines for the skin enhancing qualities found in its three main ingredients—red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate—this recipe is quick to become a favorite of those who try it for the first time.

1/2 jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup Fresh Bread Crumbs (page TK), or almond flour

1/4 cup walnuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Unrefined sea salt or salt

 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cayenne pepper, and salt in a food processor. Pulse on and off until a thick paste forms. Then, gradually pour olive oil into the running food processor. Taste the purée and adjust the salt as needed. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 2 servings

Mediterranean Tradition

Pomegranates were present in 1550 BCE in Egypt and begin appearing in Greek mythology three thousand years ago. Throughout history, their juice and seeds were used in natural medicines for curing a wide variety of ailments. Pomegranates made their way to Spain and were introduced to America with Spanish settlers in 1769. They are now grown in California and Arizona. Modern doctors have been researching the fruit and found that it helps reduce the risk of heart disease and colon cancer, and can also lower high blood pressure. It also helps to inhibit the spread of other cancers.

Shrimp, Cucumber, and Boursin Tartines

This recipe is from The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook. Tartines are open-faced sandwiches that are found in bistros all over France. They’re elegant and simple, and the flavor combinations are endless.

                                                                                 Serves:2

                                                               Serving Sized: 1 tartine

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 (1/2- inch) slices country wheat French bread (boule, harvest)

2 teaspoons boursin cheese, at room temperature

1/3 pound English or Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

2 thin lemon slices

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2. When olive oil begins to release its aroma, add shrimp, herbes de Provence, and salt.

3. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until shrimp are bright pink and cooked through.

4.  Place bread slices on a work surface and slather 1 teaspoon boursin on each slice.

5. Divide cucumber slices into 4 and place a thin layer on top of each bread slice, reserving extra if necessary.

6. Scatter shrimp on top of cucumber slices.

7. Make a slit in the flesh portion of the lemon, twist it into and “s” shape and place on top of tartine.

Healthy Living Tradition: To maximize antioxidant intake, nutritionists now recommend eating both fresh and cooked vegetables at each meal.  Cool, mellow-tasting cucumbers are great to have on hand because they go with a multitude of dishes. Avoid the chemical wax coating on conventional cucumbers by buying organic ones if possible.