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Showing posts from January, 2012

Party Dips

Tahini and Yogurt Dip 1 1/2 cups thick yogurt 1/2 cup Tahini 3 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. ground cumin  salt, to taste black pepper, to taste olive oil, to taste chopped parsley for garnish Mix the yogurt, Tahini, lemon juice and cumin. If necessary add more lemon juice until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 min. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and garnish with parsley. Feta cheese dip with walnuts 1 1/2 cups crumbles Feta cheese 1 cup walnuts, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 cup water salt, to taste black pepper, to taste olive oil, to taste chopped parsley for garnish  Blend the nuts in the food processor until chopped. Add the cheese, water, garlic and lemon juice. Blend until reaches desired consistency. Refrigerate before serving. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and garnish with parsley. You may also like  Mediterranean Eggplant Spread with Feta https://www.facebook.com/OldWorldMarket  

Mediterranean Garbanzo Salad with Feta Cheese

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If you like hummus, you like garbanzo beans. There are lots of versions of this salad using different kind of vegetables, even without cheese but I put Feta cheese over almost every salad because it adds pleasant creamy note. This salad can be serve as appetizer or a side dish. It is good by itself or stuffed in a pita. Ingredients: 1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 roasted red pepper, chopped 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced  1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese 1 clove garlic, chopped 4-6 Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped 2-3 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil salt to taste Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Let it stand at room temperature for several minutes for flavors to blend. Enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/OldWorldMarket   http://www.oldworldmarket.info  

Za'atar Puff Pastry Appetizers

Have you tried  Old World Market's latest bestseller?  Za'atar (Zaatar) is a mixture of sumac, sesame seed and herbs frequently used in the Middle East and Mediterranean areas. Za'atar is good as seasoning to sprinkle on vegetables, salads, meatballs or kebabs and flatbread, mixed into olive oil or yogurt for a zippy dip.   These Za'atar Puffs are tasty and easy to make appetizers great for any occasion.   Ingredients:   1 puff pastry sheet   1/2 cup Za'atar   1/4 cup olive oil   1/4 cup crushed tomatoes   Defrost and spread the puff pastry dough following instructions on the pack. Mix Za'atar, olive oil and the tomatoes. Set aside for a couple of minutes. Spread the mixture over puff dough and roll the dough into a loaf. Cut the loaf into 1/2" slices. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the pastries for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with Cucumber Yogurt Salad : 2 European style cucumbers, peeled. Cut each cucumber in ha

Greek Style “Gigantes - Elephantes” Beans Stew

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The white beans Gigantes - Elephantes from Kastoria are cultivated in almost all villages in the prefecture of Kastoria. This local variety is famous throughout Greece for its excellent taste, its thin-skin and the fact that it boils easily. The quality of the soil in combination with the micro-climate conditions of the area around the Kastoria lake, offer this unique bean with high nutritional value. Gigantes Elephantes from Kastoria are one of the basic components of the Greek and the Mediterranean diet.  Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 1/2 cups  Gigantes - Elephantes from Kastoria 1 big onion, chopped 2 cups chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 bay leaves 5-6 grains allspice 2 tbsp sugar 4 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tbsp vinegar salt to taste Soak   the Gigantes beans from   the day before. Drain them. Bring 4 cups of water to boil and cook the beans for 1 hour, without salt. In another pan heat olive oil and sau

Chili Tomato Soup

I love this tomato soup especially when it is cold outside. Of course its enjoyable and good for any season and occasion. Italian canned peeled tomatoes (pomodori pelati) are one of the best I've ever tried. Their quality and taste are outstanding.  At Old World Market you can find highest quality imported Italian canned regular and cherry tomatoes. Ingredients: 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped 1 medium stalk celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 28 oz can Italian pomodori pelati 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tbsp. honey 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 2 tbsp. sweet Thai chili sauce lemon juice to taste salt to taste thick yogurt (optional) In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Then add cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the to