Mediterranean Dinner

What better way to celebrate the new year than with wonderful friends, great stories, 

and a big, fat Mediterranean dinner party?

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Mediterranean Menu

  

Layered Hummus & Vegetable Dip 

with Pita Chips, Carrots and/or Bread

  

Chicken & Tomato Stew

  

Cinnamon Couscous

White wine with the Appetizer & Red with the Mains

~~~

  

Layered Mediterranean Dip

     adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients
Hummus
Pesto
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, diced
Sun-dried or oven-dried cherry tomatoes**
4-6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
banana peppers (optional)
olives (optional)

**Oven-Dried Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and dried.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Cut tomatoes lengthwise, place in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper and bake for 2.5-3 hours. Tomatoes will look shriveled and slightly blackened on the edges. They will be delicious.

Directions
On a large serving plate, spread an even layer of hummus. Next, an even layer of pesto.

Evenly distribute the cucumber, onion, (other veggies if you're using them), feta, and tomatoes.

Chill in the refrigerator before serving. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Serve with pita chips, carrots, or bread.

Chicken & Tomato Stew with Cinnamon Couscous

     from theKitchn

Stew Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, in puree

1- 16 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup chicken broth

Salt & Pepper

1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite sized pieces, skin removed

Dash of cinnamon

½ of freshly squeezed lemon

Cinnamon Couscous
2 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
1- 10 oz. box plain, quick-cooking couscous 

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 freshly squeezed orange

Directions

Over medium heat, add olive oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Add onion and cook until softened, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, cook for one minute while stirring.

Pour in tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.

Add chicken, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Just before serving, make the couscous. This takes all of 8 minutes.

Bring chicken broth, oil, and salt to a boil. Add couscous, stir, remove from heat and cover.

Let rest until all liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork, add cinnamon and orange juice. Fluff until everything is fully incorporated.

Remove stew from heat, add lemon juice, stir.

Serve the stew hot over couscous. Cheers! Or as we said in Greece, yiamas!