Sweetened Black Bean Dip with Yogurt and Pomegranate

I've never had much of a desire to make black bean dip.  If I'm going the bean route, it's going to be hummus. Rich and creamy hummus. I haven't met one that I didn't like. However, my views on this have recently changed and I have Bon Appetit to thank for that.  Driving down to New Jersey for Thanksgiving, I started flipping through the pages of the November issue and I came across a little piece about ways to improve on bean dips. And there were some suggestions I'd never thought of... like adding a drizzle of maple syrup on top. So, before the big feast I served a white bean dip with maple. And it was a HUGE hit. Never again would I make one without the inclusion of something sweet. 

I started thinking about what else I could do. I thought about the often forgotten black bean dip and how I could spruce it up. In my mind, I began to build the bowl. The dark puree on the bottom contrasted with some tangy yogurt. Some maple and pomegranates. And a sprinkle of parsley to finish it off. 

SWEETENED BLACK BEAN DIP WITH YOGURT AND POMEGRANATE

SOURCE
Inspired by the November 2016 issue of Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS
1, 16 oz can black beans, drained of liquid and beans rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
Salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Pita chips

DIRECTIONS
Using a food processor, puree the black beans, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cumin. With the machine running, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water to thin out the dip. Puree until smooth.

Transfer black bean mixture to a serving bowl.  Make a well in the center of the black bean mixture and scoop in yogurt. Drizzle maple syrup on top. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top, followed by chopped parsley. 

Serve with pita chips.

Oysters with Grapefruit and Meyer Lemon Mignonette

I keep trying to rack my brain, but I honestly can't remember the first time I consumed raw oysters. It's quite possible I had one as a teenager, but I'm pretty sure I was in my twenties (maybe after meeting Eric) that I had my first experience with these bivalves. Now, however, I'd list them as one of my favorite foods. Some of my favorite food memories revolve around oysters. Being served the Oysters and Pearls at The French Laundry (paired, of course, with a glass of Champagne) when we celebrated our first wedding anniversary and Eric's 30th birthday. Or the Kumamoto oyster with cucumber mignonette at O Ya (during my birthday dinner). But, mostly, I prefer my oysters treated with a little squeeze of lemon, maybe a small spoonful of mignonette. Ideally, a platter will be consumed outdoors, overlooking a body of water. However, that's not always possible (As I type, it's snowing. Hello winter!) and we've taken to shucking them at home, often slurping them down over the kitchen sink. It's not elegant, but it does feel intimate. Sometimes that's how romance is, right? :-)

While oysters are wonderful on their own, there are some simple ways to accentuate their robust ocean flavor. A little acid does a lot to make them pop. For this mignonette, I've combined two types of seasonal citrus, grapefruit and Meyer lemons, to make a simple dressing to spoon on top. 

Oysters with Grapefruit and Meyer Lemon Mignonette

YIELD
12 oysters

INGREDIENTS
12 oysters, shucked
1 large red grapefruit, segmented
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chive
Coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Chop the segmented grapefruit sections into small pieces and transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Add the Meyer lemon juice, Champagne vinegar, salt, chive, and black pepper. Give it a quick whisk to combine.

Before eating, top an oyster with the grapefruit and Meyer lemon mignonette. 

Crab Dip with Garlicky Gougères

Our schedules have been a bit all over the place lately, but I think we're now starting to get into a summer routine. We have our dates locked in for when we'll be on the Cape and some time spent out in the Berkshires with my family. Our annual summer reading contest has begun and I've already read four books. I find myself gravitating towards culinary themed literature (crazy, I know), but I'm really trying to include some variety. I just started The Color Purple. This was a book that many read in high school, but I was never assigned it. Neither was To Kill A Mockingbird, which I finally got around to reading last year. I wonder what 15 year old me would've thought about these books. Would I have appreciated the struggles the characters go through? I really don't know. But I'm glad I'm reading them now. 

So going back to summer. Summer, for us, is all about outdoor eating. We'll grill multiple times a week and are always up for hosting friends for and impromptu BBQ. The one thing I do always struggle with at these things are coming up with appetizers. The main proteins, the salads, even a dessert... this is where I often focus my energy. But when we were invited to attend a birthday party for a friend of ours, I put together this creamy crab dip, served with homemade gougères (French cheese puffs).

This dip is loaded with Parrano cheese, both in the filling and baked on top with breadcrumbs. I had never used it before and when they sent me some to work with, I was blown away by its complex flavors. The cheese is aged for five months, made with vegetarian rennet, and is reminiscent of a gouda, but has nutty characteristics (like a Parmesan) and a creamy, buttery finish. While it's perfect for nibbling on its own, I really enjoyed cooking with it as it shreds and melts beautifully. 

To see where you can get your hands on some Parrano (so you can make this crab dip), check out their store locator. 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Parrano®. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Crab Dip With Garlicky Gougères

Servings
10-12 as an appetizer

Ingredients
For the Crab Dip
2 cups chopped yellow onion, 1/2" pieces
1 1/4 cup chopped red pepper, 1/4" pieces
3/4 cup chopped fennel bulb (white and light green parts only), 1/2" pieces
1 lb lump crab meat
8 oz cream cheese
2 cups grated Parrano Cheese
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions
For the Crab Dip
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a quart baking dish with baking spray or butter.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for one minute. Add fennel and cook for another 3 minutes. Add red pepper, season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and cook for another 5 minutes. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the crab meat, cream cheese, parsley, and 1 cup of grated/shredded Parrano cheese cheese and mash with a spoon until combined. 
4. Add the cooked onion, red pepper, and fennel to the crab meat and cream cheese and mix to combine.
5. Transfer the dip to the prepared baking dish and use a spatula to spread it until smooth and evenly distributed around. 
6. In a separate mixing bowl, add the panko bread crumbs and grated/shredded Parrano cheese. Add the butter and mash together to create the topping. Spread evenly over crab filling. 
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temp with pita chips or garlicky gougères (see recipe below).

For the Garlicky Gougères
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
5 oz grated Parrano cheese
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large eggs

For the Garlicky Gourgeres
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Add butter, water, salt and garlic powder to a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and then add the flour, stirring until incorporated.
4. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring continuously, until it has formed into a dough and begins to pull away from the sides as you stir it.
5. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 
6. Once it has cooled for a few minutes, stir in eggs, one at a time, until it has incorporated into the dough. 
7. Stir in 3 oz of grated/shredded Parrano cheese and black pepper. 
8. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip (alternatively, use a plastic bag and cut a 1/2" opening in one of the corners) and pipe 1 heaping tablespoon (measuring 1 inch wide) onto the baking sheet with 2" between each.
9. Top with remaining grated cheese. 
10. Bake in the oven until puffed and browned, about 20-25 minutes.
11. Serve warm with crab dip (or another dip of your choice... or just on their own).