Mutabel

Mutabel is the a very delicious cousin to hummus. Its the same exact ingredients but you end up subbing the chickpeas for grilled eggplant that’s been mashed up. It was so popular at my last Talin’s Table event that I had people asking to come cook it for them! Anush!

Serves 1 bowl

Ingredients
. 5 eggplants, grilled, peeled, and mashed
. 1/4 cup tahini
. 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
. 3 tablespoons EVOO
. 1 lemon, juiced
. 1 tablespoon cumin
. 1 teaspoon salt
. 1 teaspoon white pepper
. dried oregano for garnish
. red pepper for garnish
. 1 fresh mint leaf for garnish

Procedure
1. In a bowl, mix together all ingredients really well and top with the dried oregano, red pepper, and fresh mint leaf.

oh, hummus

Nowadays everyone is making hummus… any kind – white bean, kidney bean, roasted beet,…. you name it! However, i have to say, as creative as that is, when i often times taste the traditional hummus some serve, it doesn’t even come close to being delicious and flavorful as it is meant to be.

I have my own version, of course with the help of Nani and my mother. But its still very traditional. Here’s the recipe so you can try it and tell me what you think!

Photo by: Hayley Boomhower and Sean Rea

Ingredients
. 1 can garbanzo beans
. 1/4 cup tahini
. 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
. 3 tablespoons EVOO
. 1 lemon, juiced
. 1 tablespoon cumin
. 1 teaspoon salt
. 1 teaspoon white pepper
. dried oregano for garnish
. red pepper for garnish
. 1 fresh mint leaf for garnish

Procedure
1. Drain the can of garbanzo beans and rinse with water.
2. In either a nutribullet or a blender, add all your ingredients and blend. Add more EVOO if it doesn’t blend well.
3. Finish it off on either a plate or a cute bowl, drizzled with EVOO, dried oregano, red pepper, and a fresh mint leaf.

Try it out and let me know how you like it! Anush!

Surf ‘n’ Turf

With summer just around the corner, there is nothing like a nice meal of some surf ‘n’ turf. I had a request to make filet mignon and prawns in celebration of a 30 year wedding anniversary (what a rarity these days- definitely calls for a lovely celebration). I took the challenge and made a delicious meal for 6 people.

I started out the night serving these delicious pizzette (I know..they aren’t round..still good though!). I then served a small traditional wedge salad and finished the evening off with surf ‘n’ turf. They ate and enjoyed every bite of it. A simple and festive meal ensured to be celebrated by the palate too. 😉

Ingredients

.1 frozen puff pastry sheet (you can make puff pastry ahead of time and freeze it so you have it for later uses)
.1 onion, sliced
.1 package of organic red strawberries, sliced
.1/4 cup Cabarnet Sauvignon
.balsamic glaze
.2 tablespoons EVOO

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Cut puff pastry sheet into small triangles or circles -whatever your lovely heart desires. Score 5 centimeters in using a fork to allow for the puff pastry to only puff the crust.
3. Place the cut puff pastry onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper
4. Bake the puff pastry for about 15 minutes
5. While the puff pastry is baking, heat the 2 tablespoons of EVOO.
6. Add the sliced onion to the pan and sautée until becoming somewhat golden.
7. Taking the pan off the fire, add the red wine to the pan and place back onto the fire and cook until the onions become soft.
8. By this time, your puff pastry should be done baking. Take them out of the oven and while still hot, score once again where you had previously scored to release the air that was built up in the pizzette
9. Once cooled, add the onions, top with the sliced strawberries, and finish off with drizzling some balsamic glaze

For the main entree I made roasted potatoes with rosemary, garlic asparagus, filet mignon with rosemary and peppercorn, and shrimp scampi. This was a huge hit and not a single complaint. Try it out!

Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

.potatoes (depending on how many people you serve, I calculate 1 potato per person)
.2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
.1/4 cup EVOO
.salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Quarter potatoes and place in a bowl
3. Add the EVOO, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste and mix
4. Place the potatoes flat in a sheet pan lined with foil and bake for 35 minutes

Sauteed Asparagus

Ingredients

. one bunch of asparagus
.1/4 stick of butter
.2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Procedure

1. In a pan, melt butter
2. Add garlic and and cook until it becomes fragrant and slightly golden
3. Add the asparagus and sautée until soft and fully coated with the butter and garlic.

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients (for 6 people)

.3 lbs. prawns, peeled
.1 stick butter
.5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
.1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
.salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. In a medium pan, melt the butter
2. Add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant
3. Add the prawns and cook until they become pink (fully cooked)
4. Finally, add the chopped parsley and mix thoroughly and plate

Filet Mignon with Rosemary and Peppercorns

Ingredients

.1 inch thick cut filet mignon
.1/4 cup peppercorns
.1-2 cups of EVOO
.1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
.salt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Salt both sides of filet mignon while still raw
3. Put the EVOO in a sauce pan and heat for about 4 minutes
4. Heat a grill pan to very hot and sear both sides creating grill marks on your meat (3-4 minutes on each side)
5. Take the grill pan, with meat still on it, and put it in the oven for 5-7 minutes (medium rare)
6. While the meat is finishing off in the oven, add the peppercorns to the EVOO and fry for about 2 minutes
7. Take the meat out of the oven and place on the serving plate to rest
8. Add the rosemary to the EVOO and after 30 seconds, ladle the EVOO sauce over the filet mignon and enjoy

 

Amo’s Marinad

There is something so sweet and special with having family over to visit and they teach you these lovely recipes. My family is a family of cooks- it comes with our culture. My uncle who lives in Montreal loves to cook, and he’s really good at it too. He comes up with delicious marinad’s (thats how you say it in Armenian) for different types of meats, has a great taste in how to season fish, mussels, shrimp…it’s all so good! Over the years my dad has learned from him too and every time my uncle comes to visit, we always have his special lamb chops.

They are so delicious my mouth is watering as I start to write about it. It’s a very simple marinad. You start off by cutting the chops into individual pieces.

Next you soak the chops in some water with a little bit of vinegar. My uncles secret is adding some beer to the soak too. It helps add some flavor and diminish the smell of the meat.

After the lamb chops have been soaked for about 30 minutes to an hour, you start the marinad. He chopped garlic, parsley, oregano, and mixed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Rub the chops into the marinad and let them sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to grill.

We let them sit for about 4-5 hours. The longer you let it sit, the more time it has to absorb the flavors of the marinad. Grilling is the best because you get nice lines and better flavor. Depending on how you like the meat, it can range from 2 minutes on each side to 5 minutes on each side.

I decided to make a delicious side to this delightful dish. A very simple side with the figs from our trees. I stuffed them with an herbed goat cheese and topped it with balsamic glaze. It was everyones favorite. We all enjoyed the food and had some friends over to share food with. It was a wonderful evening with family and friends. By the end of the night we were around a nice bonfire while the men enjoy their cigars and us ladies just talk and laugh. Pure delightfulness

Anush!