Afternoon Snack Time Experiments

One of the things I love most about cooking is how much I learn each time I am in the kitchen. Every cooking endeavor I take on is a chance to pick up more knowledge about this strong passion of mine. But on those days when I want to create a completely new dish and I'm not quite sure about the results, I like to do it on a smaller scale. So, to take advantage of after work hunger, I prepare these brand new dishes in the form of an appetizer-sized afternoon snack. Not only is this a great time to experiment with any fresh ideas I've had, it also provides a fun way to relax after a long day. And because it's just an appetizer, there isn't much of a commitment. The best part: I ALWAYS learn something. Here are a few of my recent experiments and what I learned:

Experiment 1: Beet Tzatziki 

For this experiment, I made tzatziki—the Greek sauce made with yogurt, cucumber, fresh garlic, and parsley—with beets instead of cucumbers. I added some sour cream for richness, tossed  in a minced shallot for bite, and served it with some of my homemade pita bread. And as I had predicted, it turned bright pink and was quite eye-catching.

The Results: Quite tasty, if you like beets. Because of the combination of beets, parsley, and sour cream, it totally reminded me of borscht.

What I learned: Next time I need to chop the beets more finely. The julienne cut I used made it kind of messy because the beet pieces kept falling off the flatbread wedges. I also think it could have used additional yogurt for tanginess and to thin it out a bit.

Experiment 2: Spicy Slider Burgers 

I prepared tiny burgers containing diced jalepenos, minced shallot, and lots of cracked black pepper. I pan-seared them in my cast iron skillet and topped them with provolone cheese and a sriracha chile mayonnaise, which was just a quick mix of mayo and sriracha chile sauce. I served them on my homemade slider buns.

The Results: Delish! They weren't as spicy as I thought they would be, but the flavor of jalapenos inside a juicy burger was really awesome.

What I Learned: I'd like to taste more heat. I would definitely add more jalepenos next time. And the jalapenos could be diced a bit more finely; some pieces fell out as I was frying them. I would also add another element, such as sauteed savoy cabbage or mushrooms, for some textural interest.

Experiment 3: Mushroom-Topped Flatbread

I love making flatbread when I have some leftover pizza dough on hand. This time I dressed it up with sliced white button mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with thyme and garlic. I topped it with just a tiny bit of shredded parmesan cheese, baked in a really hot oven (about 500 F), then drizzled it with olive oil, and sprinkled it with freshly cracked black pepper. 

The Results: Very positive. I just love the flavor of lightly browned mushrooms in combination with thyme and garlic. This one was bound to be pretty tasty.

What I Learned: I really enjoyed it, but I think it could have used more pizzazz. Some red pepper flakes would have been awesome in the topping. Also, next time I may knead some fresh thyme into the bread dough to create more visual interest and unity in the dish.