Time: 15 minutes plus cooling time

Inspired by: my super sweet, ex mother-in-law, Betty Moore, gave me this recipe! She always made the yummiest sandwiches, and this mustard was one of her tricks! I almost always keep some in the fridge as it is awesome on everything. This is a sweet and quite spicy mustard. The Coleman’s Dry Mustard gives this a sinus-clearing bite similar to fresh horseradish.

Supplies: a microwave, microwave-safe bowl and a whisk or electric mixer

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Coleman’s Dry Mustard
• ¾ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt

Preparation:

• In a large, microwave-safe bowl, blend all ingredients together with a whisk or on a low to medium speed with an electric mixer. I usually start with the eggs, add in the sugar and salt, and then the dry mustard and vinegar.
• Microwave for 2 minutes. Remove and stir well. Repeat 3-4 times until it is as thick as you’d like it to be. It will also thicken up quite a bit when it cools. Makes between 1 pint and 1 quart.

Notes: It’s best to make this a day or more ahead as it will cool and thicken up – making it easier to spread on wraps or sandwiches if you don’t want it to “run”. When I know I’ll be using it as a spread for wraps I usually make it a little bit thicker with an extra cycle or two in the microwave.I love using it warm as a pretzel dip as well!

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

Inspired by: One of my favorite breakfasts – a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 tortilla
• 4-6 thin slices of smoked salmon
• 2 tablespoons spreadable goat cheese
• 2-4 thin slices of cucumber (1/4 x 1/4 inch slices – this keeps them crunchy but also easy to roll)
• 1 teaspoon of dill (dried or fresh)

Preparation:

• Lay the tortilla in front of you and spread the goat cheese on the bottom third
• Sprinkle the dill over the goat cheese
• Add the salmon over the dill
• Add the slices of cucumber in a narrow band across
• Starting from the bottom, roll the tortilla tightly with all the fillings
• Spear with a toothpick through the middle to help hold it together, or wrap in foil

Note: For party sandwiches, cut into 4-5 slices. You may need to cut off a tiny bit of the ends. This is awesome dipped in a yogurt dill sauce.

Wine Suggestions: Good matches with the smoked salmon include off-dry wines such as Viongier, Condrieu, Riesling or light bodied reds such as a California Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy.

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: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 8 as an appetizer

Inspired by: A Persian friend of mine made this for a party and I loved all of the flavor nuances in it. I believe this is a combination of her recipe and others I’ve read on the web and then my own refinements. The Persian name for this spread is nan-o panir-o-gerdu.

Ingredients:

• ¼ pound feta cheese
• 2 cups shelled walnuts (Whole Foods or Trader Joes)
• 2 tablespoons fresh scallions – chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil  – chopped
• 4  tablespoons fresh mint – chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of one lime
• 2 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Pita bread or lavash (soft or crunchy) or raw veggies

Preparation:

• Chop scallions and basil and mint leaves by hand or in your food processor. Don’t chop too fine. Remove from food processor.
• Don’t clean food processor – toss walnuts in and whirl until finely chopped.
• Add the feta to the nuts and chop/blend the two.
• Then add garlic, pepper, lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and mix well.
• Taste and then add salt if needed and add additional olive oil for flavor and texture – but if you like the thicker consistency, don’t add too much oil.
• Remove mixture from food processor and hand mix with the scallions and herbs.

Note: I saw an identical recipe recently that also included 2 tablespoons of tarragon.

Serve with: Use as a dip with cut up pita bread or raw vegetables, or as a spread on lavash or crackers.

Wine Suggestions: The herbs in the spread pair well with herbal, aromatic whites such as a Spanish Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc  – although many Sauv Blancs will be too herbatous or grassy and that could take away from the beautiful delicate flavors in the spread. If you are going for a Sauvignon Blanc, a White Bordeax is probably your best option. A Grüner Veltliner could also be a good option or any light crisp white such as an Albarino, Chablis or a light White Burgundy.