Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on August 16, 2012

I’ve hit the point of summer where I don’t really want a huge meal for dinner each night. While I was perusing the August issue of Cooking Light, I came across this recipe that sounded really interesting- Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream. We ended up getting a ton of corn in our CSA last weekend so the timing worked out well to make it this week.

I loved the combination of flavors- the savory corn pancakes melded perfectly with the smoked salmon and the light sour cream topping was the perfect touch to top it off with. Baby T also enjoyed the corn pancakes (although I did not give him any of the smoked salmon- I did a little research online and the results were a bit iffy if it’s ok for toddlers.) I actually made this recipe in the early afternoon and stored each individual pancake in layers of wax paper and the smoked salmon and cream in separate containers. Then, at dinner, I reheated the pancakes in the microwave in 30 second intervals and then topped it with the slices of salmon and a dollop of sour cream. While we had these for dinner, it would also work out great for a light lunch or a party appetizer.

Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream

Author: m

Recipe type: Appetizer or Entree

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

¼ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
½ teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
1¼ cups fresh corn kernels, divided (about 3 ears)
⅔ cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
12 thin slices cold-smoked salmon (4 ounces)

Instructions

Combine first sour cream, chopped chives, and grated lemon rind in a small bowl and refrigerate.
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt, and ground red pepper in a medium bowl. Combine 1 cup corn kernels, buttermilk, butter, and egg in a blender; process until pureed. Add pureed corn mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in remaining ¼ cup corn.
Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into pan. Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. For an appetizer serving: arrange 2 pancakes on each of 6 plates; top each pancake with 1 slice salmon and 1 teaspoon lemon-chive cream. Double or triple serving size for an entree size.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light, August 2012

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on July 30, 2012

I have been getting a lot of eggplants in our CSA lately and have been trying to think of ways to prepare them. I decided to use up a bunch of them to make a batch of Baba Ghanoush. I was really impressed how it turned out. I make my hummus recipe a lot, but I sometimes get a little tired of it. The Baba Ghanoush has a similar texture, but a bit of a different variation on flavor. I made a big batch of toasted pita chips to serve with it (this dip also goes well served alongside this Mediterranean Dip.)

Baba Ghanoush

Author: m

Recipe type: Appetizer

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 3

Ingredients

1 pounds eggplants (about 3 small or 1 large), pricked all over with fork
1 tablespoon tahini
1 and ½ tsp lemon juice
1 and ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, set eggplant on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast eggplant for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Take eggplant out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
While the eggplant is cooling, place tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, ⅛ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper in a food processor. Once eggplant is cool, trim off the top and bottom of the eggplant. Slice eggplants in half (length-wise) and scoop out the pulp. Transfer pulp to food processor. Process the ingredients until it has the texture you prefer. Season with additional salt and pepper and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.
For storage, make sure you put plastic wrap flush with the baba ghanoush and store in the fridge. Best consumed that day.

$Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip$

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on July 15, 2012

$Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip$
This Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip is seriously amazing, I mean make 3 times in the same week kind of amazing. When we served this dip at our family lunch over Fourth of July, it was gone within minutes of coming out of the oven. My mom made more of the pimiento cheese dip the next day because we had enjoyed it so much the day before. Then, I made a half batch when I got home to take more photographs of the dip since I didn’t get one of the dip baked at the party. The pimiento cheese dip is easy to pull together and can be made ahead of time.
$Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip with Tortilla Chips$

Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip

Ingredients

½ cup Greek Yogurt (0% Fat)
6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
¾ cup roasted red pepper, diced
2 small or 1 large jalapeño peppers, ribbed, seeded and minced
2-3 scallions, chopped
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon
8 oz. of shredded pepper jack cheese
8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to your liking

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl combine Greek yogurt, cream cheese, roasted red peppers, scallions, ¼ cup cilantro, shredded cheddar, shredded pepper jack, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
In a 2-quart oven-proof casserole dish spread the dip out evenly.
Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and dip it hot.
Top with remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and serve with tortilla chips
To make ahead of time-Do steps 2-3 and put plastic wrap over it and place in the fridge.

Source– Slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats

$Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip Close-up$

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on July 11, 2012

At my family’s Fourth of July lunch that my sisters and my mom hosted at my parent’s house, we served two dips for appetizers. One of the dips we made was the a Mediterranean Layer Dip with toasted pita chips.

The Mediterranean Dip is similar to those seven layer Mexican dips with the layer of sour cream/cream cheese and taco seasoning, beans, salsa, lettuce, and tomato etc. but instead the layers have more of a Greek flair. The first layer is the classic hummus, followed by basil pesto, cucumbers, red onion, banana peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese and lastly fresh tomato. Toast up some sliced triangles of pita bread with a touch of olive oil and you have yourself one worthy appetizer.

My mom also brought this to a graduation party to test it out before the party. The dip did not last long and she was tracked down by several of the guest for the recipe. The original recipe calls for sun dried tomatoes but since it tomato season we opted to use some fresh ones from the farmers market. You can use your own recipe for the hummus or pesto but I am linking M’s hummus recipe here.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Mediterranean Dip

Ingredients

Hummus
Basil Pesto
Cucumber, seeded and diced
Red Onion, diced
Banana Pepper, diced
Kalamata Olives, sliced
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Tomatoes, diced

Instructions

Spread a layer of hummus on a platter followed by a layer of pesto. Next sprinkle evenly with cucumber, red onions, banana peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and tomatoes.
To toast pita chips- Cut pitas in triangle slices and place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush pitas with olive oil and bake for 5-10 minutes. Turn over pita chips and continue to cook until toasted.

Source– Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on June 28, 2012

We’ve been trying so many great sumer recipes lately and I wanted to pull together some Fourth of July menu ideas in case you are still looking for something for the upcoming holiday. Since the 4th falls on a Wednesday this year, why not kick off your patriotic festivities this weekend and continue it for the next week? Cook up some hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill and add some of these additional summer menu items:

15 Fourth Of July Menu Ideas

Breakfast:

Appetizers & Cocktails:

Sides:

Desserts:

Also, if you need more Fourth of July Menu inspiration, be sure to check out our Memorial Day Menu Ideas post as well! Check back in to 2S2C soon…K has some more Fourth of July ideas up her sleeve!

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on April 15, 2012

I have been obsessed with tomato bruschetta for as long as I can remember. I have a very clear memory of stealing some of my mom’s bruschetta she had made for company we were having over. I snuck a few slices of French bread with bruschetta to the pool side, dipped my feet in the pool, and ate the stolen goods. I think I was about 10-12 years old at that point. What can I say…I have always had a mature pallet. For most of my childhood birthdays, I requested surf and turf, making sure my mom got me my own lobster. That’s what you get when your mom is a great cook and you are born a true foodie.

The other day when I was making my first homemade French bread, I knew I needed to make some fresh tomato bruschetta to go with it. Tomato bruschetta is really the best in the summer when you can use fresh tomatoes, making it a great summer appetizer.

Tomato and Herb Bruschetta

Author: K

Recipe type: Appetizer

Ingredients

3 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1 tsp. chopped garlic
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
French bread

Instructions

Cut, seed and chop tomatoes. Place in a bowl and mix in basil, garlic, oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with fresh French bread or toasted French bread.
To toast French bread slice bread in ½ inch slices. Brush both sides with olive oil and place in an 350 degree oven. Toast 5 minutes on both side until bread is crispy. To add a hint of garlic to toasted French bread cut a piece of garlic in half and rub the toasted bread with garlic.