light lunch
Butternut Squash Dip – with garlic and yogurt
While hummus is probably the most recognized Mediterranean dip, there are countless items in the mezzeh spread that are meant to be scooped or sopped up with pita or flatbread.
This is one of those dips. It can be made with pumpkin or any other winter squash, and the method is the same no matter which type you choose. You want a basic proportion of 1 cup cooked, mashed squash to 3/4 cup yogurt. You can adjust yogurt according to how tangy you like it. Of course, you can also increase or decrease the garlic as well. The dip tastes better if you salt the squash during cooking, rather than at the end.
Butternut Squash Dip – with garlic and yogurt
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, and boiled until soft
1 cup yogurt (preferably Greek)
2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
salt
After squash has finished cooking, place in a bowl and mash with fork. Add yogurt, garlic, and salt to taste, and stir to incorporate completely.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Entered in this week’s #recipeoftheweek, a weekly round up of lovely recipes
Black Bean Soup
This is a simple black bean soup that we had for lunch, perfect for a cold, end-of-December day. It gets some color from the addition of potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots to the black beans. We served it with some cooked rice on top.
Colorful Black Bean Soup
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
3 cups chicken stock or water
2 cans black beans (15.5 ounces each)
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice (optional)
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes until onions soften and become translucent.
Add squash, potatoes, and carrots. Cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes. Add chicken stock and black beans. Cook over high heat until it comes to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low-medium. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Ladle into bowls. Top with some cooked rice, if desired.
Warm Mediterranean Egg “Salad”
Today’s lunch is a warm egg salad, made with olive oil instead of the standard mayo, and spiced with zaatar and paprika.
This is my favorite way to eat hard boiled eggs, and it doesn’t get easier than this. I sometimes omit the zaatar and paprika, and just add plenty of freshly cracked black pepper and salt. The fruitiness of the olive oil is a wonderful foil to the warm eggs. I love this with some extra toasted flat bread or pita bread. It would be great with pita chips as well.
Ingredients
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled
2 – 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon zaatar mix
a pinch of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Smash down the eggs with the back of your fork. Add in the olive oil, zaatar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with a pinch of paprika. Serve immediately.
Tastes best with very toasted pita or flat bread. I like to toast it on an open flame to get some nicely charred and crispy parts.
