TIm's Birthday

There was a special celebration at the Seegmiller house last night and we were lucky enough to be invited! We were celebrating Tim's birthday, and in time honoured tradition, Tim prepared a good part of the feast. Front and centre was the fantastic prime rib of beef, that he cooked perfectly on The Broil King Keg. The rest of the meal was equally delicious, making creative use of a lot of vegetables that were grilled earlier in the day. Bev set out some healthful dips, to help stave off our appetites until the dinner was served. 

Roasted Beet Dip with yogurt, chilies and zatar

We modified yet another recipe from Jerusalem (Ottolenghi, Y. And Tamimi, S., 2012) for our barbecue. 

2 lbs beets

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped, or

½-1 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 cup greek yoghurt

1 ½ tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp zatar

1 tsp salt

Garnish:

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp roasted hazelnuts, chopped

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

To prepare beets, preheat grill on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce to MEDIUM. Place scrubbed beets in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap and place on upper rack, with the lid closed, for at least an hour. Since the beets that we used had been in storage for several months, they required a solid 90 minutes before becoming tender.  The beets are finished when they can easily be pierced with a small knife.  Remove from grill and set aside for 15 minutes, still enclosed in the foil packet. This will allow the skin to loosen from the beets and they will be easier to peel. Let cool.

Place the grilled beets, garlic, chile and yogurt in the food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the maple syrup, olive oil, zatar and salt. Transfer the dip into a decorative bowl or flat platter. Scatter the green onions, hazelnuts and feta cheese on top and drizzle with a bit more olive oil.  Serve with warm pita bread and olives.

Grilled Asparagus, Zucchini, and Manouri

From Ottolenghi the Cookbook

12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup olive oil

1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed

2 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

7 ounces Manouri cheese, sliced ¾ inch thick

arugula

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the basil oil:

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup basil leaves

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the prepared cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a preheated 325°F oven for 50 minutes, until semi-dried.

Toss the prepared zucchini and asparagus with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and grill them on a preheated barbecue until just tender crisp.  Let cool on a rack. 

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet.  Fry the Manouri cheese for 3 minutes per side, until golden.  Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

For the basil oil, place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Arrange the vegetables and cheese on a large platter and drizzle with some basil oil, to taste.  Reserve remaining dressing for another time. 

Happy Birthday Tim!!!!