Another Foodie Fest & Pesto Polenta Bites

Yippee! Another foodie fest! Oh the joy in having friends gather together for an afternoon of good eats, tasty spirits, and one foodgasm after another.

Our very sweet hostess, Samba. My ongoing doggie crush. Ssh, don't tell her. It might inflate her adorable ego.

This time around we went with a Mediterranean theme, encouraging any recipe that may come from a Mediterranean country. The turnout of dishes was amazing! Homemade pesto, homemade hummus, cheese and fruit spread, tzatziki, beef gyros, kalamata olive poundcake, a roasted vegetable pie, falafel, dolmas, and many more recipes.

We even had a beer flyer with (some) beers from Mediterranean origins. Plus ouzo, of course. There is always room for ouzo!

One of the world's best pound cakes right here!

One of my offerings this foodie fest were pesto polenta bites. Easy as can be, flavorful to boot with the pesto, and open for a lot of variety in morphing the recipe. Next time you are at the store and see a tube of pre-made polenta, I encourage you to pick some up and try out a recipe. It may surprise you, enjoy!

Pesto Polenta Bites

• About 1/4 cup purchased or homemade pesto
• 24 rounds purchased cooked polenta (sliced from tube works)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Herbs

Place polenta rounds slightly apart on an oiled baking sheet. Spread pesto over the top of each polenta slice, sprinkle with cheese and herbs, and bake for 400 degrees F until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown (usually 10-13 minutes). Let the polenta rounds cool for a few minutes, then transfer with a spatula and serve!

Banana Guacamole

Recently, I found myself standing in my kitchen holding a handful of very ripe bananas without a vision in mind as to how to wisely use them. What was a foodie chef to do?? Why get creative, of course! And thus Banana Guacamole was born last week.

Now before you wave around your wand of judgement here, follow my mother's very good advice and try everything once before you say you don't like it. This dip is unbelievably good, especially in the heat of summer! I can easily imagine it on top of a delicious piece of grilled fish (yes, I've been falling off my vegetarian bandwagon of late) or tropical tofu. If you are a spicy lover like myself, adding a hot pepper to it like a jalapeño would likely come out scrumptious! 

If anyone is curious as to what my creative process looks like when making new recipes, this is about as dazzling as it gets with my note taking. When drinking is involved, it becomes much harder to read my handwriting the next day (but I leave funnier notes for myself).

Another variation I would love to try one day is to add mango or even papaya to the mix. Mmmm, I'm craving a fruity drink with an umbrella and a pile of tortilla chips to go with this dip. Have fun, play around with the recipe until you find the version you like, and as always - enjoy!


Banana Guacamole

• 1 very ripe large banana
• 1 ripe large avocado 
• 2 tbsp sweet onion, diced 
• 1 tbsp elephant garlic, diced 
• 2 tbsp anaheim pepper, diced
• 1/4 tomato, diced and seeded (saved for the dip)
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp hot pepper oil (like sesame) 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• red pepper flakes to taste 

Mix the first two ingredients together until well mashed and incorporated. Using the back of a spoon or a fork works just as well as a potato masher. Next mix in the remainder of the ingredients, and tweak as desired for personal taste. Let chill for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. Double the recipe to make a four-person serving.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Finally, summer arrived in Oregon! Well, it did last weekend at least. I spent the weekend with pals bumming around a swim hole, celebrating a close friend's 30th birthday. Beautiful, right? I hope to have many more days like this in the near future.

Back to cooking...the other day I found myself with an abundance of eggs in the house. What does that mean? Why, deviled eggs of course! And not just any deviled eggs, Sriracha Deviled Eggs!

I know there are a few dozen different versions of deviled eggs out there, but this one is the one! Slight sweet, yet spicy. Delicious and filling. Trust me, you will want to make this recipe soon. It's a perfect addition to any BBQ or cookout.

I adapted this recipe from Cook The Book, removing the chives and lime and adding a lot more flavor (at least in my opinion). Don't fret if you are unsure how to hard boil eggs. A post will follow in the coming days with tips on how to make it through a hard boil without losing most of your egg. Now go out and enjoy some summer!

Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Adapted from: Cook The Book 

• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 1/3 c mayo
• 4-6 tbsp sriracha
• 1/2 tsp horseradish 
• 3/4 tsp dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp sweet mustard
• 1 tsp white wine mustard
• 1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dill
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, mustards, and horseradish. Refrigerate promptly. Split the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the egg yolks. Using a fork, break up the yolks in a mixing bowl. Stir in the Sriracha Mayo, salt, pepper, dill and smoked paprika. Blend well. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or use a ziplock bag with one corner snipped off and pipe the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. Top with a pinch more of smoked paprika, dill, salt and pepper. Serve or cover and refrigerate immediately.