Ava's Summery Cucumbers with Hummus, Carrots and Raisins

I love when my niece Ava comes over for a sleepover. And when she does, we try and do as many fun things together as we can like playing games, coloring, watching movies, and baking. Having her over takes me back to when I was little and would spend time with some very special people to me in my life.

When I was a little girl, I used to spend a lot of time with my Grandmother and my two siblings, Chrissy and Peter, at my Grandparents house in Brooklyn, NY. We would spend a week each summer with them while our parents took a well needed vacation for themselves. It was always a great time when we were there, and all of us "kids" have many fond memories of those times that we still talk about today. Whether if we were playing together out on the driveway, picking raspberries and blackberries from her small garden, eating delicious meals she cooked for us, or when we'd all venture out to the 5 & 10 (Woolworth's) where she would treat each of us to a toy of our choice, we truly loved spending time with Grandma. 
Pictured below is a photo of my Grandparents on my wedding day in 2001.

I also have a lot of fond memories of my Uncle Ed. Growing up as a child, I remember him always being around, especially on the weekends and during the long summers. He was like a second dad to us kids. I remember him coming over to our house early in the morning and he would empty his pockets of whatever change he had in them to give to us to put in our piggy banks. He would always horse around and play with us, especially with my brother Peter. I remember a few things he used to say to us too that would always make me laugh. If one of us would say "Hey...!" He'd respond with "Hay is for horses!" And, if we were bugging him too much, he'd say, "Stick an egg in your shoe, and beat it kid!" I laughed every time. Maybe in that respect he was more like a big brother to us, and boy did we love it! Uncle Ed was the coolest!

For many years, he and my Dad played guitar and sang together. They would play out at local bars where even on a rare occasion—if the setting was right—we'd be able to go listen to them too. So, on the weekends if you didn't find them practicing their guitars in preparation for the next gig, you could probably find them out on the driveway playing basketball. They were both pretty competitive guys back in the day, so as you could imagine they could be out there for hours on end before calling it a night. 

I've always admired and looked up to my Uncle. He is very special to me. I even asked him to sing Blackbird by the Beatles as a surprise for my Dad at my wedding for our Father/Daughter dance. Blackbird was always my favorite song that they played together so it was very special to me to have him play that song for my Dad and I, and also for me to be able to include him on my most special day.

Since I have been blessed with so many fond memories of time spent with my Grandmother and my Uncle, I wanted to follow in their footsteps and do the same for all of my niece's. I have been able to do this the most with my niece Ava. Ava has been coming to my house for sleepovers since she was about 3 years old. She is now five, and she loves helping me in the kitchen. 

On this particular sleepover we baked some of my Banana Bread Mini Muffins, Nutella White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, and also the recipe I am sharing with you today. This recipe was all Ava's idea, which came from a commercial on TV she saw one day at home. She remembered this recipe completely, and luckily I had everything we needed on hand to make it. 

This recipe is actually quite beautiful when put together. I would have no reservations to serve these to my friends and family at any BBQ, family dinner, or get-together. They make for a perfect summer appetizer or afternoon snack, or in this case, a side dish to our main meal. They are really easy to make, and quite tasty too. Try them for yourself, and I'm betting you'll be making them again soon.

Ava's Summery Cucumbers with Hummus, Carrots and Raisins

Ingredients:
1 English Cucumber
Matchstick Carrots, pre-cut in the bag
1 Small Box Raisins or Craisins
1 Container Hummus (we used Trader Joe's Horseradish flavored)

Special tool: Melon Baller 
(You can use a small metal spoon if you don't have a melon baller.)

Directions:
Wash and dry your cucumber. 

Cut cucumber in about 1 1/2" - 2" slices.

Then, take your melon baller and make a cup for your hummus by scooping 3/4 of the way down into the center of the cucumber removing the seeds. Make sure not to scoop too far down, or too close to the sides, so that you leave yourself a nice cup for your hummus (see below).

Take spoonfuls of hummus and fill in each cucumber cup to the top.

Now, take matchstick carrots and start sticking them into the hummus around the inner edge of the cucumber cup, then add 3 or 4 raisins to the center as shown.

Place them on a serving plate and enjoy. Yes, it's that easy...and Ava gives them the thumbs up seal of approval!

You can also serve these with "refreshin' snacks" (Ava's exact words) such as grapes and pineapple.

Makes 8 cucumber cups.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan.

Pecan, Craisin, and Feta Stuffed Portobellos

Yeah, I know what you are thinking...those stuffed mushrooms look pretty darn tasty, right? Well, I can tell you that they were...for the five minutes they lasted! 

I have always loved mushrooms, pretty much of any variety, and I used to order stuffed mushrooms regularly when out dining before I was gluten-free. Then, after I was diagnosed ordering stuffed mushrooms—in most restaurants—was no longer possible. Personally, I don't even know why breadcrumbs need to be involved, do you? These little bad boys are breadcrumb-free, and so full of flavor, you won't even miss our little evil counterpart. 

These stuffed mushrooms have a few of my favorite ingredients in them that pack a good punch on the flavor meter; feta cheese, Craisins®, and pecans. The feta cheese brings the salty, the Craisins® bring the sweet, and the pecans bring the crunch! Now that is what I call a perfect trifecta! 

The feta cheese I used in this recipe is not your ordinary feta that you get in the grocery store that is hard, dry, and crumbly. That is what most of the feta that you will find is like on the market today. Well, being half Greek, I can say I know what REAL feta is supposed to be like. First of all, it should always be found in a salty brine. Second, the feta should never be dry, it should be creamy, and soft. At least, that is the kind of feta I have always known. To my surprise, I recently found the feta pictured below at my neighborhood Hannaford, and it's really quite good. I recommend it hands down to all the other store bought feta varieties, even those ones that you may find in a brine. They are just not creamy enough for my taste. This feta, made by Ezra's is fantastic! It's a little more expensive than the others, but totally worth it.

I had these stuffed mushrooms for dinner tonight since I was eating late, but these also could be served as an appetizer at any gathering. They are sure to be a hit! They are super simple, and easy to make. Kalí óreksi! (Enjoy!)

Pecan, Craisin®, and Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
6 medium portobello mushrooms, cleaned, and stems removed and reserved
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon Craisins®, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Ezra's Feta Cheese Cubes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup gluten-free chicken, or vegetable stock

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Clean mushrooms with damp paper towel, and remove stems. Place in a baking dish, top down.

Chop mushroom stems, pecans, Craisins, and garlic and place in a small mixing bowl. Add oregano, and parsley to the mixture, then season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Put olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add mushroom mixture, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, just until the pecans are lightly toasted. Remove from heat. Pour mixture back into bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Add feta and mix until combined.

Stuff each mushroom with filling. (Be generous, there is plenty to go around.) Pour chicken, or vegetable stock into the bottom of baking dish.

Place stuffed mushrooms in oven preheated to 350°. Bake for 30 minutes, basting with spoonfuls of stock from bottom of baking dish every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.
This recipe is gluten-free, and can easily be made vegan by using vegetable stock and omitting the feta cheese.

Homemade Beet Chips with Kale Parmesan Dip

So, what do you do when you have an abundance of beets and kale in the fridge? I say, make chips and dip!
 
Don't get me wrong, I do love roasted beets with thick slices of goat cheese on top of a bed of mixed greens, but this time, I wanted to try something different. I love Terra Chips, I've tried almost all of their varieties out on the market, so I thought I'd give making them a try. 

To be honest, it wasn't that hard. It was a little time sensitive because I tried making them two different ways—baking, and pan frying—since I didn't know how baking them would work out. I had tried making potato chips in the oven once, and wasn't so thrilled with the results. They got too chewy, and not crispy as I would have liked. So, even though I know baking is the healthier option, I wanted to try pan frying half the chips just to see. Heck, Terra fries theirs, so why shouldn't I? And, of course, as I suspected, I did like the pan-fried chips better. First of all, they were much quicker to make. The pan fry time was about a quarter of the amount of time it took for me to bake them in the oven. The fried batch came out a bit crispier than the baked ones too. Overall, the baked ones came out fine, and yes, I would make them that way again. But, you know how it goes, pretty much anything fried always seems to taste better. I think it's one of those Murphy's Law things.

The one thing about beets you should be aware of before making these, is their beautiful red color juices will stain just about anything they come in contact with, so be careful not to get it on your clothing. The juice will stain your cutting board too, but don't worry, eventually it will come out after enough use.

The dip was pretty easy to make as well. It reminds me a bit of spinach and artichoke dip because of the kale and parmesan cheese. Unfortunately, I did not have any artichoke hearts on hand, but if I did, I would have certainly added them into the mix. My husband said it reminded him of the garlic scape pesto I make. Which, I too, agreed with him on. Either way, it was good!

So, anyway, here are the recipes for both the chips and the dip. Enjoy.

Beet Chips (2 Ways)
Ingredients:
4 medium to large beets; washed, dried, and sliced thin
Oil (coconut, peanut, or canola), for both methods
Sea Salt to taste

Directions:
For oven method:Preheat oven to 350°.
For pan frying (when ready): Put about 1" or so of oil in a large skillet and preheat oil to about 350°.

Using a mandolin, slice beets unpeeled to about 1/16". Try not to cut them paper thin as for they will burn too easily. Place sliced beets onto a few paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

For the pan frying method: 
Take dried beet slices and place them in an single layer in the heated frying pan. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning over half way, or until crisp. Be careful not to cook them too long, or they will burn. Once the are done, remove from the pan and let drain on a few paper towels. Season with sea salt and allow chips to cool completely.

For baking:
Take dried beet slices and toss in about a teaspoon or two of oil, sprinkle with salt, and then place the beets in an single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, checking on occasion to see if they are drying out. Once the edges begin to dry out, flip them over and put back in the oven for about 15-20 more minutes. Keep checking them about every 5 minutes. Remove once chips have crisped. Place on a paper towel and season with sea salt. Let chips cool completely before serving.

Makes 4 servings.
This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free if you do not use peanut oil for frying.

Kale Parmesan Dip
adapted from FitSugar
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale (or about 4 cups), stems removed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup water
Sea salt, to taste
3/4 cup greek lowfat yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Lemon zest (to taste) 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes  

Directions:
In a large skillet, combine kale, garlic, onion, and water. Set over medium heat, cover and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if pan dries out. 

Transfer vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add yogurt, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, a pinch or two of sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and let chill for about 1 hour.

Serve with beet chips or tortilla chips.

Makes 6 servings.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut free, and vegetarian. It can easily be made vegan but substituting the greek yogurt for a vegan variety.