Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 10-12 as a dip

Inspired by: various yogurt sauces used in combination with spicy cooking – I was looking for a nice flavor balance with some curried chicken kabobs and have since found that this sauce is fabulous with so many different things!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons dried dill (dried dill infuses much more flavor than fresh)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced (optional – I often skip this and almost always skip it when I’m making the dip a day or two ahead as the garlic tends to get too strong)
• 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice
• dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (optional – but I love pepper – it goes in most everything!)

Preparation: Mix all ingredients well in small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: Lasts for a while in the refrigerator but the garlic gets stronger over time so if you plan to keep it for a while, I suggest using little or no garlic.

Serve With: Curry chicken kabobs, any other spicy meat or poultry, fabulous on salmon or as a dip for a smoked-salmon wrap, and great alone as an appetizer dip with raw veggies or bread.

Yogurt Dill Sauce with Smoked Salmon Wraps

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

Inspired by: Trying to make a pretty “finger food” for a party and knowing that this mustard makes everything taste fabulous. I think this wrap has pretty holiday colors (red and green) when cut into small sandwich bites.

Ingredients:

• 1 tortilla (I prefer the green spinach tortillas or something like these made with roasted bell pepper and chili)
• 4-6 thin slices of peppered turkey from your local deli
• 1 – 2 slices of provolone cheese
• 1 handful of spinach leaves
• 2 thin strips of roasted red peppers (roast your own or from a jar is fine)
• 1 teaspoon yummy mustard

Preparation:

• Spread the mustard on the tortilla – leave the top inch mustard free (so it doesn’t squeeze out when you roll it).
• Add the following in layers so they are spread evenly across the bottom third to half of the tortilla – spinach leaves, turkey, cheese, roasted red pepper.
• Then roll the tortilla and all the fillings starting from the bottom.
• Spear with a toothpick through the middle to help hold it together, or wrap in foil

Note: For parties these make great bite-sized sandwiches if you cut the wrap into 4-5 slices and secure each with a toothpick. You may need to cut off the ends.

Wine Suggestions: To balance the spiciness of the mustard, the best matches would be an off -dry or fruity white such as a Viognier, Torrontes, and possibly a Pinot Gris or Chenin Blanc, or a medium bodied spicy red with some good ripeness such as a Southern Rhone Syrah-Grenache blend.

Time: 5-10 minutes

Serves: 12 as an appetizer

Inspired by: When I first decided to learn to cook, I started with all Armenian foods I had as a child. Although hummus wasn’t actually something I discovered until I was an adult, it seemed like one of the basics that I should know how to make and include in my “Mediterranean-themed” meals. I’ve come to love the simplicy of making it and how healthy it is as snack or appetizer with raw veggies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans garbanzo beans (15 oz cans)
• Juice of 1 to 1 ½ lemons (ideally, just a tiny bit more than ¼ cup)
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• ¼ – 1/3 cup Tahini
• ½ to ¾ cup water (usually needs at least ¾ cup)
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (can add up to 3 teaspoons of cayenne to make a very spicy hummus)
• Salt to taste (usually between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon)
• Garnish: light olive oil, paprika and parsley

Recipe:

• Drain garbanzo beans and rinse well in colander.
• Blend garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, Tahini, 1/2 cup water and spices in food processor until smooth and to your desired thickness. Add salt to taste – usually at least ¼ teaspoon. Add additional water a little bit at a time until it is your desired consistency.
• Serve in a low, wide dish. Drizzle with a high-quality olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. If available, garnish with parsley.

Wine Suggestions: A crisp white or light red. If go heavier on the garlic, a light red such a Spanish Rioja is perfect. If you go really spicy, then a medium-bodied, spicier Syrah-Grenache based Southern Rhone could be nice or even an off-dry white to balance the flavors.

Time: 10 minutes

Serves: Approximately 3, 12-15 oz portions

Inspired by: I’ve always loved the idea of a green drink for an on-the-go snack, but never thought they were all that appealing to actually drink. I was wrong! I think this one tastes fresh and delicious. Chia seeds will thicken it and add protein, or you can add some protein powder as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 small piece of ginger – peeling not required (size depends on how much you like fresh ginger)
• 1 piece of a Jalapeño pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Chia seeds or 1-2 scoops of pea protein powder
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 cucumber (approximately 10 inches long by 1.5? diameter – I prefer English or Persian cucumbers and keeping the skin on)
• 2 green apples with cores and seeds removed (or red apples or peaches if you prefer sweeter)
• 1 bunch parsley (with stems)
• 2 large handfuls of spinach

Preparation:

After washing everything, set the blender to “liquefy” and add the first 6 ingredients. Once they are blended well, add the celery, cucumber, apples or peaches and blend again. Then add the greens a bit at a time until they are blended well with the rest of the liquid.

Time: 5 minutes once sauté pan or grill is hot

Inspired by: My friend, Dan, grows these in his garden plot nearby. He put some on the grill at a dinner party several years ago. I couldn’t believe how delicious they were.  My local Whole Foods market carries them in the summer as well. They make an easy, delicious, simple and healthy appetizer. Their cousin, the Shishito Pepper, is a nice alternative and almost always mild. I think Padrónes are more flavorful, and while they are often mild, they can also be quite spicy. It’s usually a surprise!

Ingredients:

• Padrón peppers – rinsed and dried well

Preparation:

• Toss in olive oil with a bit of salt, put them on a hot grill for a few minutes and then turn over for another few minutes.
• Alternatively, toss with a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan on medium to high heat for 4-8 minutes.

Wine Suggestions: Gruner Veltliner or another crisp white is a good option. When they are spicy a Riesling is an even better pairing.

Time:  10 minutes

Serves: 2

Inspired by: I spend a lot of time in Mexico where my cooking is often limited to stove top only, but where I also have access to fresh fish daily. I can easily purchase fish hours after it is caught. I’ve learned that just about any white fish is quick and easy to cook stove top – even without a good hood/fan. This was an experiment with Robalo – a type of sea bass –  it was delicious.

• 12 ounces of fish (I plan for 6 ounces per person, but on a big surf day perhaps a bit more)
• Olive oil
• Lemon or lime, herbs, salt and pepper

Preparation: Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once it is hot, add the fish seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice, and cover with a lid to keep the heat in. Cook for 4-6 minutes (depends how thick it is) and use a spatula to turn it over. Drip some lemon or lime juice over it and cook for another 3-5 minutes. When the fish feels firm to the touch it is done. When it is uber fresh, I tend to cook it a bit less.

Wine Suggestions: I prefer light white fish with Chablis or White burgundy, but any crisp white wine is a nice option, or when in Mexico, a light crisp beer such as Pacifico is often the best choice.