Gracia Mediterranean Recipe Reboots

This tastes amazing - adding fresh roasted pine nuts and chili oil to hummus is transformative! Thanks for the idea, Gracia :-)

INGREDIENTS

Chili Oil

• Canola or Peanut Oil, ½ cup
• Red Pepper Flakes, 1 ½ TBS
• Garlic, 1 tsp minced
• Salt, ½ tsp
• White Pepper (optional), ½ tsp

Crudite

• Cucumber, Red & Yellow Peppers, and/or carrots sliced for dipping as desired

Hummus

• Hummus, 1 cup packaged
• Basil, 6 large leaves finely minced
• Pine Nuts, ¼ cup chopped
• Naan, for Dipping

Pita Bread

• Naan, packaged (either purchase dipping sized OR cut into dipping sized)
• Butter, 1 TBS melted
• Oregano, 1-2 tsp

INSTRUCTIONS

Chile Oil*

1. Mix spices.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a small pot. Do not allow to smoke.
3. Pour oil over spices (the red pepper flakes should sizzle) and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool slightly as you prep the hummus.

Hummus

1. Blend Hummus with minced basil. Spoon onto serving plate and make a small "well" in the center of the Hummus.
2. Toast chopped pine nuts (check often to prevent burning).
3. Once toasted, mix pine nuts with approximately 1 tsp of prepared chili oil to coat.
4. Spoon some pine nuts into hummus "well." Drizzle chili oil into well and around edges of the hummus. You will almost certainly have a good amount of chili oil left over.*

Pita Bread

1. Toast.
2. Brush with melted butter and season with oregano.

Serve hummus and pita bread with crudite and enjoy!

* Leftover chili oil will last 3 months plus n the refrigerator.

Our version of Gracia's scallop & truffle potato dish - but with ours you get more than 2 scallops each! Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

Scallops

• Scallops, 24 fresh or thawed
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 TBS
• Salt and pepper to season

Potatoes

• Yukon gold potatoes, 3 lbs peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
• Salt, 2 TBS + 2 tsp
• Butter, 4 TBS softened
• Sour cream, ¼ cup room temp
• Heavy cream, ½ cup room temp
• Truffle zest, 2 tsp
• Truffle oil, 1 TBS

Greens

• Microgreens, 1 cup
• Zucchini, 1 half, sliced in thin strips

INSTRUCTIONS

Potatoes

1. Combine butter, sour cream, heavy cream, truffle oil, truffle zest, and 2 tsp salt in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.
2. Add 2 TBS salt to a large pot of water and bring to boil.
3. Add potatoes and boil until tender (approximately 20-25 minutes). Remove pot from heat. 
4. Use a colander to drain completely and return potatoes to hot pot. 
5. Add truffle butter mixture, gently toss, and then mash with a potato masher. DO NOT over mash or the potatoes will become gluey.
6. Keep warm as you prepare scallops.

Scallops

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
2. Pat the scallops with paper towels until very dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Add 2 TBS olive oil to hot pan, then add scallops (they should sizzle when you drop them in). Space so they don't touch each other (sear in batches if your pan isn't large enough.)
4. Cook for 2 minutes. Do not move them during this time.
5. Flip the scallops and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from pan immediately.

Putting in Together

1. Add a mound of mashed potatoes to each plate and flatten gently with a spoon or spatula.
2. Place 4 scallops atop the potatoes.
3. Garnish with microgreens and zucchini slices and serve.

We substituted Halibut for the Swordfish (you could also substitute Mahi-mahi). All three are firm and "meaty" fish and have similar nutritional benefits, but Halibut contains less mercury than Swordfish so you can eat it more often. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

Fish & Marinade

• Halibut, 1 ½ lb (or Swordfish or Mahi-Mahi) cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ cup
• Garlic, 4-6 cloves minced
• Lemon, ½ of one lemon juiced
• Red Pepper Flakes, 1 tsp
• Salt, pinch

Sides

• English Cucumber, ½ of one large, diced
• Cherry Tomatoes, 20 count, halved 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 TBS
• Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mint, 6-8 leaves chopped plus a little extra to garnish
• Bulgur, ½ cup packaged
• Tzatziki, 1 ½ cup packaged (we got ours at Costco)

Equipment

• 4 skewers

INSTRUCTIONS

Halibut

1. Mix ½ cup olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and pinch salt in large bowl to make marinade.
2. Add halibut chunks and gently toss. Place in refrigerator for a least one hour. Prepare sides (bulgur and vegetables) during this hour.
3. Remove fish from fridge and add 6-8 chunks to skewers (a total of 6oz fish each).
4. Preheat grill/grilling pan on medium-high heat. When hot, place skewers on grill/grill pan.
5. Cook for 2 minutes and turn very gently until all sides are cooked and fish is tender (roughly 8 minutes total.) Use a spatula to assist in turning skewers so fish does not tear.

Sides

1. Prepare bulgur according to package instructions and set aside.
2. Combine diced cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes with 1 TBS olive oil, apple cider vinegar, chopped mint, and roughly half of the cooked bulgur and gently toss.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Putting it Together

1. Spoon ¼ to ½ cup tzatziki onto each serving plate. 
2. Spoon ¼ vegetable/bulgur mix on top or tzatziki.
3. Slide fish chunks from skewer onto vegetable yogurt "bed."
4. Garnish with mint and serve.

These taste like savory candy. My three teens will actually eat them cold out of the fridge. No lie.

INGREDIENTS

Brussels Sprouts, 2lb 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ¼ cup 

Garlic, 3 TBS minced

Sea Salt, 1 TBS

Ground Black Pepper, 1 TBS

Capers, 2 TBS (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice and wash Brussels Sprouts. Spin in a salad spinner or pat dry. 
2. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and gently toss. 
3. Spread Sprouts on a baking sheet so there's only one layer.
4. Broil on highest heat on lowest rack for 10-12 minutes. Take out, gently stir, and continue broiling for another 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, toss with capers if desired, and serve.

An easy, go-to evening salad that also pairs well with seared salmon if you want to make it a meal. Adding the Italian parsley is a nice twist (thanks again, Gracia!) This version makes two, medium sized salads so vary quantities accordingly. Image coming soon.

INGREDIENTS

• English Cucumber, 1 medium, peeled & chopped
• Heirloom Tomatoes, 2-3 medium, chopped
• Jalapeño, 6-8 thin slices
• Italian Parsley, ¼ cup chopped
• Feta, ½ cup chunked
• Oregano, 1 tsp dried
• Olive Oil, ¼ cup
• White wine vinegar, ⅛ cup
• Black olives, 10-12 small (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix olive oil and vinegar to make dressing. Increase or decrease quantities as desired as long as you maintain the 2:1 ratio (2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar).
2. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, jalapeño, and olives with dressing and gently toss.
3. Spoon vegetables onto serving plates. Scatter feta chunks across each salad. Sprinkle generously with Italian parsley and dust lightly with oregano. Serve.