Vegan Chick Pea Mash

First things first, please do not be put off by the fact that I named this Vegan Chick Pea Mash. This recipe doesn’t contain any weird, mystery ingredients posing as something else. I would never do that to you. I’m not going to take some soy based crap and try to turn it into bologna. NEVER. This is vegan simply because it doesn’t have any animal products whatsoever.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to how this dish came to be. I love a good challenge. One of my skill sets is solution providing. I love figuring out a better way, an easier way or simply just A Way to accomplish a task. So, when I was hired to cater a Traditional British Style Tea Party the major request was to offer gluten free and vegan options. Normally this shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, but remember the typical Tea Party food is finger sandwiches, which do not sit squarely inside the gluten free and vegan circle. But I’m so glad I was put to the test because it yielded some good finds. Like this Vegan Chick Pea Mash.

Since the event was all about finger food, I needed to devise a bite sized morsel that would fit the vegan criteria. Chick peas are a hearty protein, and versatile thus the top choice in helping me solve this dilemma. Chick peas being what they are, dense and round, make them easy candidates for rolling off the plate, onto the floor and then ultimately squashed under foot. Goal: No rolling. So, how do you keep them from falling onto the floor instead of your mouth? Smash ‘em before they hit the floor. And so I did. But you can’t just scoop up smashed chick peas with your fingers! They needed a vessel, and colorful would be nice, too. Introducing the baby bell pepper brigade to the rescue. Perfectly suited to be filled up with the robust, chunky flavor of chick peas; smashed, of course.

Since I had a good variety of other food offerings in different flavor profiles, I wanted to ensure that this protein mash could stand on its own with savor. The first thing that came to mind was garlic and onion, but then kept layering more and more flavors as I cooked it, adding cumin and turmeric, cilantro and lemon juice. Here’s how it went down.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can Chick Peas
1/2 red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 t ground turmeric
1/4 t cumin
1 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c Aquafaba (chick pea liquid)
1 T + lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
3 T olive oil

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil, add onions and cook until softened.

2. Add garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and cook until the aromatics are nicely toasted.

3. Add the aquafaba and 1 T lemon juice and stir until combined.

4. Add the chick peas, let warm through and then using a fork or a potato masher begin to smash them. I like it chunky so I smashed some very well and other only lightly to give different textures.

5. Squeeze some more lemon juice to finish, then add the cilantro.

You can serve this dish warm, room temp or cold. It truly does work well at any temperature. As I mentioned, the first time I made this was a for a catered event, so making individual pieces was the goal. The baby bell peppers as the vehicle to steer them into people’s mouths was a great choice. The sweet, crunch of the peppers perfectly complemented the earthy flavor of the chick pea mash so much so that it is my preferred serving vessel.

The size of the baby bell peppers makes it an ideal cocktail party bite. And because the chick peas are smashed, no rolling off onto the floor.

You could also, place the chick pea mash in a bowl, place on a platter filled with baby bell peppers and cucumber rounds and use it as a dip. Either way, these made the perfect bite size treat. I recently decided to test drive this again at a backyard party we hosted for our neighbors using the peppers, and then two days later for a small family gathering using endive. Happy to report; it was a hit with every serving.

The tower of offerings. Chick Pea Mash, Salmon Roll Cucumber Rounds and Watercress, Herb Butter Tea Sandwiches.

Since I had some leftovers, I served them up again using endive.

Now, of course, this dish can be used in a variety of other ways. You should know me by now, everything I make has to do double, triple, well, multiple duties. I had some leftover and tossed it over warm pasta. Naturally, it was yummy. You can spread this on toast and add avocado or tomato or both. Go ahead. Start your creative engines…

Postscript: In reading some of the comments, it got me thinking about this recipe. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before but this can be a heartier substitute for hummus in a pita sandwich. It’s chunkier and therefore will be squish out less than traditional style hummus. Keep it vegan and add cucumbers, sprouts, olives, etc. Keep it vegetarian and add some feta cheese. Just thought I would share the ‘stuff it in a pita’ idea, which quite frankly seems like a no brainer that I’m surprised I didn’t think of before.

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Manchego Cheesy Palmiers

Sheets upon sheets of puff pastry take up a disproportionate amount of space in my freezer. For awhile, they actually took refuge in a neighbor’s freezer while I sorted out space in my own. Why, you ask, do I have so much puff pastry when I can’t even consume it? Just because I can’t enjoy its light, buttery layers of puff doesn’t mean my catering clients and guests can’t. Plus, I do enjoy creating treats with it. It’s so versatile. It’s so light. It’s so crispy and flaky. Yet still gives you a doughy mouth feel. Yes, I have a great imagination of what it would taste like. I’m working off of memory banks deep in the recesses of my mind.

So, when I needed some of this light puffiness for a catering gig a few months back I opted to buy the larger box. As expected, I knew I would find other uses for it. If you recall, it certainly came in handy dandy when I baked it up for a not too sweet dessert. Then another cocktail party gig came a-calling. That event needed a small bite. It needed to be warm. And if it were cheesy too then let’s just call it the perfect trifecta. With all this extra puff pastry, palmiers came to mind, and thus won my little heart.

In an effort to continue to prove how incredibly easy some recipes are, this is another one that falls squarely in the ‘anyone can do this’ category. Let me show you how.

In four steps, this is how simple.

1. Roll pastry

2. Spread cheese

3. Fold, fold and fold again.

4. Cut and bake.

   Ok, there is a fifth step. EAT and ENJOY!

Here are the actual steps with a few more details.

Cheese, glorious cheese. In this case Manchego.

ingredients

1 Puff Pastry sheet, thawed
2 c Manchego cheese*, grated
1 egg, beaten plus a splash of water

* Of course, you can use whatever hard cheese you like. But my catering gig focused on tapas from Spain, therefore, Manchego was the natural choice.

instructions

1. Take puff pastry out of the freezer and let it defrost. Once thawed, sprinkle flour on a board and roll the pastry out to 12” x 17”.

2. Generously spread 1.5 c Manchego or your desired cheese over the entire dough. Then place parchment over top and gently roll again to press the cheese into the dough.

Cover the entire surface. You’ll want cheesy goodness in every bite.

A gentle roll is all you need. It helps to secure the cheese so it doesn’t fly all over the place when you fold the edges over.

3. Fold the edges in 1/3 the way, then fold and fold again until you get to the center. The folds create more of a heart shape. You can also roll the edges into the center to create more of a rounded palmier. Your choice. I wanted hearts. Also, the more folds you have the smaller the size of each one. Fewer folds creates a larger individual palmier. (Also, note that I added more cheese after the second fold. That’s only because I wanted it to be cheesy.

First fold.

Then add another 1/2 cup of cheese before the final fold.

More cheese, please. This is the second fold. From this point, fold one more time to close it up.

4. Cut 1/2” slices and place them cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet, brush tops with egg wash and bake at 420 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

All those folds will explode open into light fluffiness in the hot oven.

Lightly brush with egg wash.

It’s just that SIMPLE, and these are as cute as a button or should I say, as a heart shaped cheesy bite.

They make the ideal bite sized snack to enjoy with afternoon tea, or anytime. I also wrapped them up in parchment paper and gave them to a neighbor as a little birthday gift. (And of course, gave some to the kind neighbor who housed my pastry for way too long, thanks Antoinette!)

And as if those reasons aren’t enough to motivate you to make them, they are perfect for stacking up on an appetizer platter. Since I was asked to bring an appetizer to a dinner party, I added them onto a cheese and charcuterie platter. They were all gobbled up!

Those are boquerones skewers standing up in a glass jar. They look like lollipops. Rounding out the platter: Manchego and Majorero Pimentón cheeses, my spiced nuts, mortadella, Chorizo Vela, olives, roasted red pepppers, cucumbers and cornichon and Mary’s Gone Crackers.

Try it, and I beg you to please stop saying that it’s only easy for me. I have faith in your ability, and so should you.

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Amuse Bouche...That's not English, Right?

Oh the French, they do give us some wonderful food and great phrases.  And the one that starts it all off is the Amuse-bouche.  The literal translation is mouth amuser.  In a restaurant, this is the appetizer before the appetizer. Not ordered from the menu by a customer, but given as a complimentary single bite from the chef to start your meal.  It is meant to amuse the mouth. Get it ready for the meal. Whet the appetite and get the patron excited for what is to come. 

Only the French would think of amusing your mouth. I dare say that the Italians aren't into amusing so much, but straight up satisfying from the onset.  I do love the idea of tickling the tongue with a little nosh to get you primed.  A little food foreplay, wouldn't you say?

This practice doesn't need to be limited to restaurants. As JuanCarlos and I prepare for a trip to France, I reasoned that this was a perfect time to honor their tradition and share some ideas on the subject. So go ahead,  treat your guests to an Amuse Bouche.  You like them, don't you?  So amuse their bouche.

Remember this is meant to be just one little bite not a full blown appetizer. However,  any of these can be an appetizer. (Just love when things can do double duty).  An amuse bouche can range from the elaborate to a very simple offering. 

Here are six offerings, each providing the all important combination of salty, sweet, tang, texture to get the mouth party off to the races.

Goat Cheese & Nut Topped Grapes

These are an easy, pop in your mouth kind of bite.  Refreshing and textural, and create the "more please" effect. 

• Use the stemmed end as the base, as this will help the grape stand up.

• Slice a tiny bit off the top of the grape to have a level landing spot for a dollop of goat cheese.

• Using a small spoon gather 1/2 tsp of room temp goat cheese and place it atop the grape. (I use my clean fingers to create a little dollop)

• Dip it in the crushed/ground nuts (such as pistachios or a mix of pecans, walnuts or whatever nut you like). These can be made ahead of time, but save the nut dipping til just before serving. You don't want the nuts to get soggy in the refrigerate. NOBODY likes soggy nuts.

Prep yourself with everything at the ready. Look how simple this is. 3 ingredients. 3 steps: Slice, dollop and dip

You can store in the fridge like this with plastic wrap

Dip right before serving.

Salmon Topped Cucumber or Apple

Alright, this may be two bites, but satisfying ones, for sure. These deliver a creamy texture paired with a cool crisp  and salty bite.

Salmon / cream cheese roll up a top a cucumber slice.

• Cut a 1/2" slice of cucumber.

• Pipe a dollop of soften cream cheese on top.

• Place a small piece of smoked salmon laid down in a crossed fashion.

• Pipe another dollop of cream cheese in the center and top with capers and dill.
  (You can also use the Salmon Roll method. On a large piece of plastic wrap lay the salmon down, making sure to overlay slightly. Spread softened cream cheese on top. Sprinkle with capers, then roll up like a sushi roll, Refrigerate. Once chilled, cut into 1/2” rounds placing atop each cucumber slice. Adorn with dill, as seen above.)

Refreshing on a slice of apple. This is from my Lox on What? idea.

Pea Soup Shooter

A chilled, tall drink of spring. (I have not tried these recipes but wanted to provide a few links for your reference.)
Pea Soup Shooter
Pea Shooter
Pea Soup

These were part of the offering at a catering event I did with Regina Mallon Enterprises, food by Special Attentions.

Dates Packed & Wrapped

Boy, does this one get every part of your mouth ready.  It's got salty, sweet, crunch and tang.

Another 3 step method, Slice, stuff and roll.

• Slice open a Meedjol date just enough to remove pit and replace with something better.

• Stuff it with gorgonzola cheese and a marcona salted almond.

• Wrap the date with Serrano or Prosciutto ham.

Simple set up of jamón Serrano, gorgonzola, marconas & dates.

Just a little slice, yank out the pit and replace with yumminess.

Cranked up Caprese Skewers

This is an amped up Caprese salad on a stick.

Ratcheted up a notch by grilling them until they are just warmed then dipped in grated cheese. Oh the melt, the sweet, the salt.

Another simple set up with just a few ingredients.

Once grilled, roll them in grated cheese. Want some heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes, too.

• Skewer a grape tomato, a bocconcino, piece of basil and another grape tomato. (You can certainly serve them as is. But I highly recommend you go the next steps. Also, you can prepare these ahead of time and refrigerate until grilling.)

• Coat with oil, salt and pepper and lightly grill, then roll in Parmesano Reggiano, and serve immediately.

Chorizo-Manchego-Olive Skewer

A one bite tapa mix that makes a hearty first nibble. 

Warm, cold. Savory, salty, creamy. Need I say more?

• Cut Manchego cheese into cubes.

• Slice and sauté the chorizo.

• Skewer the trio ending with an olive.

Honestly, I feel like I could create one every week.  The options and ideas are 'to infinity and beyond'.  Just think of little bites that would get your guests ready for more.  Oh la la to the French for their playful amusement.  What a fun game of enticement. 

White Bean Dip

I am a serial food pleaser. I caught the entertaining bug from my grandmothers and mother while watching them put out dish after dish, platter after platter for holiday events, Saturday BBQs, or a Sunday meal.  There was something about those moments that dug in deep with me.  Preparing and offering up food made with love seemed to awaken a real joy in me. I loved the excitement of it. I love the way it makes me feel. Entertaining is part of my DNA...DANA. 

In my parent's kitchen on Long Island with sumo sized vats of food. Yes, I say from WAY back. That was my brother's bird named Qubiert.

Part of my High School gang. I guess I convinced them with more than just wine and cheese. It took 16oz Buds!

From way back when, luring friends and family to come over to nibble on my food experiments has been a constant agenda. I giggle at the memories of my high school years when I would try to convince my friends to gather at my house for wine, cheese and board games instead of their suggestion to go to a bar.  Nerd, or early onset foodie? Either way, it was and still holds true. Given the choice, I much prefer hosting a small gathering than going out.  Seeing as it's been a while since I've used my usual bullet point list, here goes a few reasons to entertain at home:

• Your guests can stay as long as they like, no one hovering over with a check waiting to seat the next group

• You can make whatever food you like, and experiment and use them as test subjects

• You don't spend nearly as much as in a restaurant

• You don't have to deal with a bunch of people who aren't part of your group

• You can laugh and dance and play whatever music you want

• You can move around from room to room, sit on the floor or lie on the couch or be outdoors

• You can display all your table decorating talents

• You can wear comfy clothes

• You can kick your shoes off, although I never do

When I lived in a studio apartment in NYC, my entertaining was contained to having a friend or two over for dinner.  After moving to Miami, I had the space to entertain but with crazy work hours, I barely had the time.  Go figure!  I was left with one option to soothe my aching entertaining soul.  Throw myself birthday parties.  I knew I could at least carve out time for my own birthday, and I also knew friends would make the effort because of that.  Buffet style was mostly how these shindigs went down.  It made it easy to put all the food out and have people fill and refill as they wished, at their pace.  Less fussy that way, too, kept the mood relaxed, informal and moveable.  You've heard me talk about the importance of having some food cold, some room temp and 1-2 options warm.  With these annual parties the guest list was usually my same dear friends. That meant I needed to come up with food ideas that would check all those boxes and as well as be different from the previous year. 

Friends always willing to help. Yay, for me.

Dear friends that I still have as a part of my life to this day.

My dear friends: Kathy, who sadly is no longer with us, me, Emilce and Helene. Can I blow them out? Sure, I've got plenty of hot air.

I promise to post more of those old favorites in upcoming posts, but today I want to share a white bean dip.  Reason being is that I recently revived this recipe during our latest trip to Miami.  So, it seems only fitting having first made it decades ago in Miami.

While on this trip, we had a few people over our apartment.  Perfect time to feed my need to 'food please'. So I whipped up a few bites.  JC always laughs because he says, "No, biggie we can just put out some cheese" and then I decide we need a few other nibbles, and in a flash we have a spread of food.  

I'm as comfortable as can be in George and John's kitchen.

On our last night of this past trip we were invited to our friends', John and George, house for dinner.  We  adore them for many reasons but are belly tickled that they are food lovers as well.  We make a perfect complement in the kitchen together.  Their part: the main meal. Our part: the appetizers.

Making the potato topped with with smoked trout & sour cream

You don't always have to make all the dishes. Sometimes buying really good prepared foods is just the right answer. Marinated olives & feta.

Leftover heirloom tomatoes from the night before...

Cut up to make the topping for bruschetta.

Talk about an excellent time to revive an old dip. This task was also going to require me tapping into my something from nothing style as we only had a few food items left in our apartment due to our return to NY.  Time to whip up what's available.  I had made the potatoes topped with trout and had extra, so that was on app down.  I had leftover heirloom tomatoes, chopped up made a tasty bruschetta. Lastly, in the cupboard... white beans.  In the fridge, standing by wanting to be needed: scallions and cilantro at your service. Perfect aromatics to jazz up a white bean dip. 

This is a dip that can be modified to use what you have available or what flavor profile you like.  Clearly, not a lot is needed to create this one. You can use a different kind of bean, or basil instead of cilantro. Mix and match to what you have, or whatever will rock your taste buds.

Only a handful of ingredients, so make sure they are fresh.

Chopped garlic

Ingredients

1 15 oz can Cannellini or Great Northern beans
1/3 c cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
2 T lemon juice
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/3 c scallions, sliced (plus extra for garnish)

Instructions

Drain the liquid from the beans reserving 1 T.  Place the beans, garlic, salt, pepper, oil, lemon juice in a mini food processor.  I used a blender because it was all I had, but found it didn't chop as well as I would have liked.  Buzz them up to your liking.  You can make this dip super smooth and creamy, or leave it a little chunky.  I like it both ways.

Remove this mixture and place in a decorative bowl.  In same blender, add the scallions, cilantro and reserved bean liquid.  Buzz until you get a chopped mixture.  Dollop this mixture in the center of the bean mixture.  Then slice a few more scallions and cilantro and sprinkle on top.  Serve with crusty bread or vegetables like cucumber slices, celery, carrots, or even blanched broccoli.  

Dollop the scallion, cilantro mixture on top.

My appetizer offerings make with love part in our Miami home, part in theirs.

All of the appetizers were a big hit at our friends' house. But the dip got the most ohhs and ahhs. I almost felt I should have made more!  John's sister loved it so much she kept asking for the recipe. Hey, guess what? I have a blog just for that reason.  So, here you go Ann, and for all of you who might enjoy this super simple dip that will please your own guests, or bring to a party and please other guests.  Either way, a crowd pleaser.

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Fried Polenta Topped with Mushrooms & Goat Cheese

Oh, how I love mushrooms.  Oh, how I love polenta.  So, is it any wonder that, oh, how I love this appetizer.  I have made these tasty bites for many an occasion. Be it a formal dinner party, a buffet for a crowd or a simple first bite to a meal. They look impressive on a platter, but they are even more pleasing to the palate.  

You've heard me rave about polenta before.  It can dished out in an abundance of ways.  Creamy and soft, molded and fried.  For breakfast instead of grits or crumbled up on a salad instead of croutons.  As an app or a main meal. Some foods are just like that, they give and give like the famous tree in children's book, The Giving Tree.  "Here boy, take my stone ground corn and make magic with them."   I love that book, and I love polenta.  Did I say that already?  Well, I do.

Keeping with the abundant uses mode, you can top polenta with other veggies or even proteins like shrimp or pulled pork.  But today's recipe features earthy mushrooms. That's what I had available, so that's what I made.  I only had Creminis on hand but I have made this with a combo of mushrooms.  I implore you to explore and mix and match to suit your taste buds.

Ingredients

2 c polenta
2 T butter
6-7 c mushrooms, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 c parsley, chopped
1 T rosemary, chopped
Magic 3 (Olive oil, salt, pepper)
Lemon zest
7 oz goat cheese
 

Instructions

Cook the polenta according to the package.  Whisking as you slowly pour it in to avoid any lumps.  

Once it is cooked and reached a thick consistency, add salt, pepper to taste and stir in the butter until melted.

Then pour the polenta out onto a buttered baking sheet.  Using a spatula, spread the polenta evenly out.  I usually use a larger sheet pan so the entire polenta base is thinner.  But I was at my mom's house and her pan was smaller, so these were thicker.  In the end, I liked the size of these. You can choose the thickness according to whatever floats your boat.  

Since I was taking the photos, I enlisted my mom to help out with the action shots. It's fun cooking with her.

Spread it out to create an even layer.

Once the polenta is evenly spread, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to set in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, start cooking the mushrooms by adding 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan.  I like using a cast iron pan as it retains high heat and gets a good sear on the mushrooms.  The key to mushroom cooking is let them cook on one side without moving them around.  This allows them to get nicely browned.  Also, salt them when they have browned.  If you add salt too early to the cooking process it makes the mushrooms release water.

I also cook mushrooms in batches in order to avoid crowding the pan.  Too many reduces the pan heat and they begin to steam instead of sear.  Once all the batches are done, remove the mushrooms and cook the garlic, rosemary and parsley in more oil.  Then add to the mushrooms.  I grated some lemon zest over the mushrooms which brightens the flavor.  (you can also zest more once you assemble the whole dish.) Set aside while you continue preparing the polenta.

Once the polenta is firm, cut into squares or use a cutter.  I was going to cut these into my usual small squares using a knife, but I found a round ravioli cutter in one of my mom's drawers and thought it would be fun to use especially because it had a scalloped edge. 

This time I got my sister, Alyssa, to help with the action shots. Of course, using a square cutter or a knife will eliminate waste, but I liked the rounds.

And don't worry, I didn't waste all the leftover cut outs. I fried them up and added them to my salad.

Using the same cast iron pan, add oil to coat the pan and fry the polenta rounds in batches until crispy and golden brown.  These are already cooked, so you just want to get them crispy.  Remember, varying textures make food more interesting.  Crunchy outside with soft inside.

Once done, place them on a baking sheet, so you can keep them in a warm oven until all have been fried.  Then top them with dollops of goat cheese, and with a spoonful of mushrooms.

You can see that some of the rosemary from the cooking the mushrooms snuck onto the polenta. That is less of a problem and more of a blessing.

Little drops of goat cheese to add creaminess to the crunch,

Make the platter look pretty by using the rosemary sprigs as adornment.

We had some roasted red peppers also as an appetizer.  It made a wonderful partner to this earthy, crispy bite.  

Side note:  Using a 2" ravioli cutter,  I got about 18-20 pieces.  You can get more if you cut the pieces smaller and in squares.   Also, this is an appetizer than can be prepped ahead of time.  You can make, and even fry the polenta ahead of time.  Then when you are ready to serve, pop them in the oven to warm them up and assembly.  Enjoy polenta, the giving tree of corn!