In the Kitchen With Kylie Aspegren and June D’Souza

 in Favorite Recipes / Now Magazines by

These recipes were contributed by Kylie Aspegren and June D’Souza, a Corsicana resident, and originally appeared in the CorsicanaNOW October 2015 issue.

Bruschetta With Balsamic Tomatoes and Basil

  • Loaf of whole wheat baguette (works best if a day old)
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil (divided use)
  • 6 fresh basil leaves or one stem of basil
  • 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 garlic clove
  1. Preheat broiler on low.
  2. Slice baguette into 1-inch slices; place slices on a baking sheet and lightly bush with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Broil 10 minutes until bread turns golden.
  3. Chiffonade basil into very small strips. Sprinkle basil over tomatoes; stir in remaining olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
  4. Remove bread from oven; rub garlic clove over warm bread.
  5. Top with tomato mixture; serve.

 

Herbed Chickpea Wraps With Grapes and Walnuts
Makes 8 servings.

  • 1 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups seedless red grapes
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. each: fresh basil, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme, all finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
  • Toothpicks
  1. In a large mixing bowl, gently mash chickpeas with a potato masher to break the skins.
  2. Place whole grapes on a dinner plate. Stack another dinner plate on top. Gently press plates to hold grapes in place. With your other hand, use a serrated knife to cut grapes in half by cutting at the edge of the top plate.
  3. Add grapes and remaining ingredients, except tortillas, to chickpeas and gently mix.
  4. On the bottom half of each tortilla, spoon 1/2 cup of mixture in a broad line.
  5. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla toward the center until almost touching.
  6. Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla toward the center; roll wrap firmly upward.
  7. Place a toothpick 2 inches from each end of the tortilla. Slice the wrap diagonally; place cut side up on a plate or platter.
  8. Repeat with other 7 tortillas. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate to serve later in the day.

 

Coconut Pecan Date Rolls

  • 1 3/4 cups dates, seeded
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 3/4 cup coconut, shredded and unsweetened (divided use)
  1. In a food processor or by hand, finely chop dates.
  2. Add pecans and half of the coconut; stir/pulse until a paste forms.
  3. Shape into 17 balls; roll in remaining coconut.

 

Turmeric, Honey and Ginger Tea

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • Splash of milk (1% nut or soy)
  • Honey, to taste
  1. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.
  2. Add turmeric and ginger; reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in milk; strain tea into cup.
  4. Add honey.

 

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Clusters

  • Parchment or waxed paper
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  2. Melt chocolate chips either in a double boiler while carefully stirring or heat in a microwave-safe dish for 3 minutes at 50-percent power.
  3. Stir blueberries into melted chocolate.
  4. Using a soup spoon, drop clumps of mixture onto papered baking sheet. Sprinkle each cluster with pecans.
  5. Place in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes to set before serving.
  6. Clusters will keep in airtight container in refrigerator for about 1 week.