Kammeni Hummus

This meze/appetizer was the product of my search to make chick peas tastier, afterall they are bland as a solo act. However, add that chick pea to the symphony of Mediterranean ingredients and you will liken it to the tuba...the requisite "bottom end" of the spectrum.

I was also inspired by Alysha from the Savory Notebook who entered a Sicilian Chick Pea Salad Dip into the Weekend Herb Blogging event ( last week) and the look and ingredients she used led me to try chick peas out again.

I've named this dip Kammeni as in Greek it means "burnt" and I've used a roasted red pepper and this also is the name of the once active volcanic island off of the the Greek Island of Santorini.

I'm now going to add chick peas to my repotoire of dips!

Kammeni Hummus

1/3 cup walnuts
1 can of chick peas, drained & rinsed
1 large roasted red pepper, peeled & seeded
1 garlic clove
1/4 -1/3 olive oil
1/3 cup basil leaves
4 oz. of feta
1 green onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and whiz while slowly adding your olive oil (amount depends on the texture you like).

Bouyourdi Stratta

Not to be mixed up with Chef Boyardee. This is a Greek appetizer, indigenous to northern Greece and in a nutshell it's an appetizer of baked feta and slow roasted tomato, spiced with hot pepper.

It's often served in a clay, oven-proof vessel or you can use one those larger ramekins for family-style double-dipping!

The star of this meze (appetizer) is the slow-roasting of the tomatoes and it's a wonderful way to taste the very essence of summer...the ripe tomato.


Bouyardi Stratta

Day old crusty bread (anything but sliced); 2 tsp sesame seeds, 2 large tomatoes, pureed by a box grater (skins discarded); 1 small red onion, sliced; extra virgin olive oil; 1 slab of feta cheese, crumbled; Dried oregano; extra-virgin olive oil; a few slices of hot banana pepper (or whatever's at hand, just add some heat).

1. In the vessel, drizzle the bottom with olive oil then line the entire bottom with your bread.
2. Pour the tomato pulp over the bread and ensure it's soaked and then add your onions & hot peppers and oregano.
3. Top off your strata with the crumbled feta and drizzle with more olive oil and cover with foil.
   
4. Bake in an oven at 325F or in your BBQ under indirect heat for 30-40 minutes.
5. Serve with more bread and enjoy summer's fruits, the tomato!
   

Cafe Frappe

Cafe Frappe ("ka-fay - fra-pay") is how it's pronounced and this beverage rivals the oft drank Greek coffee.

This is the Greek version of an ice coffee, simple to make, refreshing and delicious. Play around with the flavours...add some chocolate or french vanilla syrup, top it with whipped cream.

Before I lay out how to make it, you'll need either a cocktail shaker, frappe shaker or a hand-held mixer. Purists will tell you that only the Greek market Nescafe will do but I find the North Amercian kind to work just as good!

Cafe Frappe

Nescafe instant coffee
water
sugar
evaporated milk/cream
ice

1. Put 1 Tbsp into your glass or shaker along with 1 Tbsp of sugar and a splash of water.
2. Shake vigorously or whiz until about almost 1/2 of the shaker/glass is frothed.
3. Transfer froth to a glass and/or add cold water to almost fill the glass.
4. Add cream/milk, 1 ice cube and serve with a straw and a glass/bottle of water on the side.
   

Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie "anything" has got to be one of the best ways to cook meat of any kind, be it lamb, pork, roast beef or in this case, chicken.

If your BBQ/grill does not have one, go get yourself one. Rotisseries make your meat taste better simply from the fact that your meat is self basting and cooked evenly.

Here are some tips that I've discovered in the years I've used a rotisserrie:

1. Go buy one. I bought a universal rotisserie that upon reading the instructions, it was adaptable to most of the better known BBQ/gas grills on the market.
2. Truss your chicken. Otherwise the legs will flop around and trussing will assist in even cooking. Click here to see how.
   
3. Put a tray underneath whatever you're cooking and put some water in it. Fat does render from your meat and fat will burn and thus blacken your meat.
4. Close the BBQ lid and aim for a temperature of 325-350F. Low & slow works best for rotisserie.
5. Check the pan every 30 minutes or so to see if water should be replenished in the tray.
6. When your meat is done, always allow the meat to rest before carving.
   

Finally, try my seasoning suggestion on your chicken. For those in Canada who are familiar with Loblaws and other George Weston related supermarkets, you've probably bought one of their rotisserie chickens for take home.

I learned from a store manager that they use a "Magic Creations" seasoning on those chickens. I've reproduced those same take-out chickens at home (with my added herbs) and now you can too!

Visit the company's website if you'd like to order this seasoning.