I love any dish that you can just pick up and pop in your mouth.  In fact, I think that appetizers and Tapas or Meze top my list of favorite foods.  I love little bites that can be served to guests without fuss, muss or the need for utensils.  This dish is a perfect little finger food with a blast of flavor that won’t soon be forgotten.

This is not a complicated dish, but it does involve a little work.  Stuffing tiny peppers is fairly labor-intensive and a bit messy, so definitely allow the filling to cool completely before attempting to stuff the peppers.  I recommend the use of an iced-tea spoon or a piping bag for quick and simple results. (The back of the spoon is great for thinner peppers.)

When all was said and done, my oldest son and neighbor loved these.  My middle (aged 9) thought they were a bit too much, but I’m sure he’ll love them when he gets older.  As for me…  Well, I ate all the leftovers myself.

What’s your favorite finger food?  Are you a fan of tapas and meze?  Do you have a favorite stuffed pepper recipe?  We’d love to hear about it.

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Popularity: 1% [?]

This recipe is inspired completely by my wife, who told me about something similar she had in Turkey shortly after her return there.  It’s nothing more than Squeezed lemon, a bit of mint and sugar with boiling water added but like so many simple dishes the final product is something that is somehow ethereal and infinitely sublime.

Perhaps it’s that this simple drink looks as magical as it tastes.  The mint leaves and lemon pulp swirling slowly in the glass are equally as enticing as the combination of sweet, sour and savory that greets your tongue when you take a sip.  sure, it could be made with perfectly strained lemon juice, but why in the world would you do that?  It would take something away from the experience in my opinion.

I have no idea what the Turkish name for this drink is, nor does my wife (Nor can she find the restaurant she had it in again.).  I’ve searched all over trying to find it, but haven’t been able to, so if anyone knows the proper name for this drink, please let me know.

Thanks to Oz for letting me know that this drink is called “Nane-Limon” or simply “Mint Lemon”.  I’m glad to have the proper name of the drink, but whatever you want to call it, it is extraordinary!

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Popularity: 46% [?]

Summer is here and as much as I love chocolate in all its many incarnations, warm weather calls for treats that are a bit lighter and brighter than my favorite winter fare.  The higher temperatures also mean we’re less likely to gravitate towards large treats, preferring instead to savor smaller bites and brighter flavors.  This dessert fits that bill in all ways and more.

These may be mix based, but I guarantee that you’ll overlook that once you’ve gotten a taste of these little explosions of flavor. There is simply nothing here not to love. Every bite is an immersion in all that is wonderful about lemon.  Tart, sweet and tangy with just a hint of saltiness in the glaze. Eating one of these bars is sort of like drinking lemonade mixed with rocket fuel.  It’s an unforgettable experience.

Simple, wonderful and light.  Perfect for the summer no matter where you are.  Please give this recipe a try.  And if you make something like it, feel free to leave a link in the comments.

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Popularity: 3% [?]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, simple flavors are usually the most profound.  The art of great food is not necessarily about the number of ingredients, the amount of spices and flavorings, or even the technical knowledge of the person preparing the meal.  It’s about a perfect balance of flavors, textures and aromas.  This is true of the perfect serving of escargot as much as it is in the perfect plate of simple southern greens.  They are both beautiful experiences in their own right, and neither one is complicated.

The same holds true of this simple little dish.  It could be used as a tappas, an appetizer, a snack or even a great little brunch dish.  The ingredients are simple, straightforward and complimentary in ways that would not be possible had any other ingredient been added. In this case minimal is better, and if you try it, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Not only are these tiny tidbits a wonderful taste sensation, they are healthy.  Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and lean proteins that we are all supposed to get more of. The cream cheese is low fat and so provides calcium without too much guilt. Of all the ingredients, only the bagels may cause worry for some, but they souldn’t.  The tiny addition in carb count is more than worth it. Top it all off with the fact that this dish weighs in at only 4 Weight Watcher’s points, and you’re golden.

Even my wife approved, and she’s not a salmon fan!

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Popularity: 3% [?]

As a not so spicy compliment to my Asian Inspired wings, I offer up my wife’s lemon garlic chicken wings.  We came up with this recipe in the hopes that it would pick up on some of the flavors of Greek chicken, or at least Mediterranean cuisine, and I don’t think we were too far off. (There should have been honey in here somewhere, but it was close) 

To carry the Mediterranean feel a bit further, we paired it with some leftover tzatziki we had in the fridge from a few days earlier.  The result?  I can only call these wonderful and suggest you give them a try.  Really, I wish I had more to say on the subject, but honestly, I’m just wishing we had a few wings left right about now…

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Popularity: 3% [?]

If you’re looking for a quick, light lunch for those warm summer days, look no further than your freezer and pantry to deliver something insanely satisfying in just a few minutes time.

Here on the Texas/Oklahoma border, summer has been late arriving. We finally got one of the first really “summery” days about a week ago, and the thought of noshing something heavy in 90°F weather was more than I could bear. The heat of the day called for something on the lighter side, but a quick check of the cupboards wasn’t revealing much in the way of “light”, and we hadn’t been doing too many salads when the wind was blowing and torrential rains were falling.

The answer to my culinary dilemma presented itself in the form of a partial bag of frozen shrimp, a bit of cilantro I had from a previous entrée and a half-lemon I had left over from a vinaigrette I’d made the night before. Just add some noodles and you’ve got yourself a light-refreshing lunch with all the flavor you could ask for. In this case I turned to my old standby of Ramen noodles, but this would work equally as well with linguine or angel hair pasta.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Sometimes simple is better. This glaze is great for either pork or chicken, and it makes in a snap! Read more…

Popularity: 1% [?]