Hummus

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6-8 garlic cloves
6-7 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
6-8 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)





Add garlic to food processor and blend until garlic is finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve with warm pita bread.

Pan-Fried Haloumi Cheese

2 packages of haloumi cheese (8-10 ox. per package)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bulb of garlic
4 - 6 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper





Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Slice the haloumi into broad flat slices of 1/4" thick. Peel the garlic cloves and make into a puree using either a mortar and pestle or a small food processor. Place garlic paste in to a small bowl and mix in about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to make garlic a thinner consistency. In another bowl mix flour and cayenne pepper together for dredging. First dredge the haloumi slabs through the garlic paste mixture and then throught the flour mixture to give a light coating of each.

Lay the cheese slabs into the skillet and fry on one side until flecked with golden brown, about 2-4 minutes. Flip carefully and fry on the other side until the other side is also flecked with golden brown spots. Remove from the pan and place on plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Serve with warm pita bread and hummus, if desired.


Serves 4-6.

4/2009

Mexican Lasagna

1/2 pound ground mild pork sausage or ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 (15-ounce) can jalapeno ranch-style pinto beans, drained
2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium avocado, chopped




Cook sausage and ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in beans and next 5 ingredients; cook until thoroughly heated.

Stir together soups and enchilada sauce in a saucepan; cook until thoroughly heated.

Spoon one-third of sauce onto bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish; top with 3 tortillas. Spoon half of beef mixture and one-third of sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with half of Cheddar cheese. Top with 3 tortillas; repeat layers ending with tortillas. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and next 3 ingredients.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Top with avocado.


5/2009 - Southern Living