Mealtime Magic: Go Greek for Valentine's Day

As you plan your Valentine’s Day meal for your loved one this year, consider some Greek finger foods. There’s nothing more romantic than feeding your lover a delicious bite of savory eggplant salad or creamy red pepper hummus dip on wedges of Mediterranean flatbread.

Here are two recipes that are not only romantic finger foods, but also contain garlic, which the ancient Greeks considered an aphrodisiac with magical and therapeutic properties.

Chef  Demetrios Haralambatos, the corporate chef at leading flatbread maker Kontos Foods, offers these recipes to make your Valentine’s Day really special.

Melitzanosalata

This eggplant salad makes an excellent dip that is similar to the Middle Eastern baba ghanoush dish.

3 eggplants
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
5 scallion bulbs, minced
2-3 fresh plum tomatoes seeded and diced
1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Pierce the eggplant with a fork, place on a cookie sheet and place in the center of your oven for 25-35 minutes. 
2. Set to cool and drain on a rack.  When it is cool enough, scoop the center of the eggplant into a bowl, discarding the skin. 
3. Mash the eggplant and stir in the garlic, scallions, tomatoes, and herbs.
4. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice well and add slowly with a fork to work it into the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with warmed wedges of Kontos white or whole wheat Pocket-Less Pita and enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

3 cups drained cooked chickpeas (Tip:  If you take the time to peel your chickpeas, your hummus will come out smoother)
1 garlic clove
1 roasted red bell pepper, skinned, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup tahini
2 tablespoons water
4 to 6 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
 

1. Mash the garlic cloves with 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a smooth paste.
2. Put the chickpeas and roasted red bell pepper in your food processor.  Add this to the processor along with the crushed red pepper, tahini, water, 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cumin, and pepper and process until smooth.
3. Remove from processor and add more salt and additional lemon juice to taste.
4. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, sprinkle with paprika before serving with warmed wedges of Kontos white or whole wheat Pocket-Less Pita. 

To learn more about Kontos flatbreads, visit www.kontos.com or www.Flatbread.com.You can also find Kontos Foods on Twitter@KontosFoods or on Facebook at www.facebook/KontosFoods.  See embedded photo. The first 10 respondents can receive samples of the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita bread for review.