Callie Blount from www.luv-cooks.comshared two easy appetizer recipes for Easter. (see recipes below) Here are links to Callie's original blog posts -http://www.luv-cooks.com/james-farmers-caprese-kabobs-balsamic-bbq-reduction and http://www.luv-cooks.com/roasted-garlic-lemon-hummus-with-golden-pita-chips. Follow Callie on her blog www.luv-cooks.com and on Instagram @luvcooks.
Caprese Kabobs with Balsamic BBQ Reduction (Recipe from James’ cookbook, A Time to Cook: Dishes from My Southern Sideboard, copyright 2013, Gibbs Smith publishing)
What You Will Need:
For the skewers:
- 1 heaping dry pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed or rolled into small balls
- About 24 fresh basil leaves
What You Will Do:
1. On bamboo skewers, alternate a tomato, cube or ball of cheese, and basil leaf until the skewer is full.
For the balsamic reduction:
What You Will Need:
- 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
What You Will Do:
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Stir occasionally, making sure the sugar doesn’t stick on the bottom of the pan, until the liquid reduces by about half. It should be thick, glossy, a good consistency for dipping (not too thin), and taste sweet. A good test for me was if it clung to and coated the back of a spoon.
3. Let the liquid cool and serve as a dipper for, or drizzle on top of, your caprese skewers.
Roasted Garlic Lemon Hummus with Golden Pita Chips
Roasted garlic gives a slight sweetness to a rich hummus brightened by fresh lemon juice and smoked paprika. Perfect for a party or holiday football game, this hummus is tastier than the store bought version, and can be adjusted in a myriad of ways to taste. Try adding chopped jalepenos or pimento for even more kick! You can also find this recipe in theJanuary issue of Birmingham magazine.
Yield : 4-6 servings
What You Will Need:
- 6 cloves garlic, roasted
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, bean liquid reserved
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoons chickpea liquid
- 1 tablespoon filtered water
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika , plus additional for topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
What You Will Do:
- Blend all ingredients except oil in the bowl of a food processor until a thick paste forms, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about three minutes.
- Drizzle in one tablespoon olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Enjoy topped with paprika!
*To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 400. Peel most of the skin off of the garlic. Cut top 1/4 off of garlic head; drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil, roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.Remove from oven to cool.
Golden Pita Chips
Yield: 40 chips
What You Will Need:
- 5 soft multigrain or white pitas, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
What You Will Do:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss cut pita in large bowl with spices and olive oil.
3. Place pita chips on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Roast for 10 minutes; flip over, then roast 10 more minutes.
5. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
