Monthly Archives: January 2020
I have to say we don’t eat a lot of Mediterranean food at our house or even when we go out, well unless you count our yearly trip to our local Greek festival! So when my friend Rosalie called and invited me to go to Habibi Mediterranean Cafe I was ready and willing! Habibi is located at 2968 Lafayette Rd, in Portsmouth New Hampshire.
Rosalie and I got there just as they opened and I’m so glad we did as this place gets busy extremely fast during lunch hour. The first thing I noticed as we walked through the door was the amazing aroma’s coming from the kitchen. We were greeted by one of the owners and given menus. We found a table in the back of this very small restaurant. Although Rosalie had already picked out our appetizer I wanted to get a good look at the menu. Everything they have is made from scratch daily from generations of family recipes.
To start, Rosalie ordered us the Habibi Mezza Plate that had hummus (ground chicken, peas, garlic. tahini and lemon), Baba Gannouj (eggplant, tahini, lemon, and spices), Tabouli, 2 falafel balls (deep-fried balls made of chickpeas and spices), and 2 warm stuffed grape leaves. Everything on the plate was just as good as the next bite. If I had to pick a favorite it would be both the hummus and grape leaves. The grape leaves were warm, light and filled with rice and tomato. The hummus, I have to say, was the best I have had anywhere or even made myself. It was light and creamy and went so perfectly with the house-made pita bread.
We ordered this delicious house-made pita bread to go along with the Mezza plate. They make this bread to order and when it comes out it all puffed up before you break into it. This was the lightest pita bread I have ever had.
Shortly after our appetizer came this beautiful salad came to each of us as it comes with the entrees that we ordered. There was no shortage of food, that’s for sure. The salad was so refreshing and great bites while still nibbling on the appetizers!
I ordered the Chicken Shawarma that comes with their house sauce and rice. There is so much flavor in this dish. The fresh herbs and spices make this a dish to remember. The chicken was so tender and juicy. I can see why this is a popular dish.
I have saved the best for last. Rosalie ordered the Gyro Lamb. If you don’t think you like lamb or have never tried lamb I highly recommend this dish. Rosalie and I always share our plates and today was no different. Although I have had lamb and enjoy it, this dish was beyond good! The lamb was cooked perfectly, it almost melted in your mouth. This was my favorite dish of the day. One that will keep me going to Habibi Mediterranean Cafe!
I enjoyed this restaurant so much I was not about to leave without a dessert to take home! So this crispy, sweet piece of baklava came home with me and I am so glad, as it was delicious later that evening.
If you are not sure if this is something you would like don’t worry they have an incredible menu for eat-in or take out that include sub sandwiches, panini’s, calzones and even pizza. They do an incredible take out business as the door was revolving from people eating in or taking out. Many of their dishes are naturally vegetarian as well as gluten-free.
Habibi Mediterranean Cafe is closed on Sundays in the winter but open Monday through Saturday at 11 am. You can find the full menu and more information on their website. http://www.habibiportsmouth.com/menu
Enjoy!
With just a few simple ingredients you have a delicious party bite! So simple to put together and can be made ahead. I have made these a few times when I have had guests over and never have enough of them as the plate is cleaned in no time. This will be a great snack to take with us in our motorhome.
INGREDIENTS
- Pepperoncini’s
- cream cheese- I used the whipped cream cheese
- dry hard salami circles
DIRECTIONS
Cut the tops off and slice through one side of the pepperoncini without slicing all the way through. Fill the pepperoncini’s with cream cheese, about 1 Teaspoon each. Fold the salami in half then wrap around the outside of the stuffed pepperoncini. Secure with a toothpick. Do this for as many bites as you would like.
Enjoy!
I had a different recipe I was going to share with you today but after I told you how much I love scallops last week I thought I would share my favorite way to make them at home. Because we love scallops this only serves 2 at our house but you could easily stretch it to feed 3 or four. I usually serve it with rice and a salad. If you find scallops on sale, go ahead and get them!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound large dry scallops, foot removed (the muscle that holds the scallops to the shell)
- 1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers
- 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 2 Tablespoons of good white wine
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish, add the garlic and the wine. Set aside. In a resealable bag add the crackers and crush them. Add salt, pepper and the zest of 1 lemon to the cracker crumbs and mix to combine.
Place the scallops in a shallow baking dish, top with cracker mixture covering all of the scallops. Top the cracker mixture with the butter mixture all over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and slice the second lemon into wedges. Just before serving squeeze 2 of the wedges over the top of the dish. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Petey’s has been around for a long time and although all of my family and friends have been I had never been there until recently. Petey’s is located at 1323 Ocean Blvd. in Rye NH. And guess what? They are open year-round! Many restaurants in this area are only open seasonally, but not Petey’s. There are a number of restaurants in Maine and NH that do close for the winter but my favorite time to visit those restaurants is early spring and fall. You get the same menu with far fewer people as the tourists are much less, so there is little to no wait time. This holds true for Petey’s as well although they did have a busy lunch crowd when we arrived!
My friend Judy and I arrived and were able to get a seat right away. Of course, Judy has been here but she knows how much I love scallops and asked if I had ever had fried scallops. Believe it or not, I never have and scallops are my absolute favorite seafood. I cook it at home and eat it out quite often. I was very skeptical as scallops are so light and sweet I have always thought deep frying would take away that balance. Judy ordered the fried scallops as an appetizer for us and this came with tartar sauce. All I can say is I have been missing out for a very long time. These scallops were delicious. The batter was not heavy at all but added a nice crisp texture to the sweet scallops. I will be ordering these often!
Judy had the baked stuffed lobster. Look at those huge lobster pieces sneaking through that gorgeous crispy crumb topping! A squeeze of lemon with some extra drawn butter, this is what life is about…right here this is it. Judy had a baked potato and coleslaw on the side. But really…can you look at anything beyond that lobster? Judy loves her dish, but it’s one of her favorites on the menu!
I told you how much I love scallops right? Well, here it is again! Baked stuffed scallops with a side of rice and coleslaw. This was a fantastic lunch. The scallops cooked just right with the crisp topping and a squeeze of lemon was just the perfect bite. The rice was good but the coleslaw needs a little shout out. This is one of the best, if not the best coleslaw, I have had. It was a little sweet, a little tangy with a nice crisp bite from the veggies. Really, really good. Judy and I left happy and full!
Petey’s is a must-stop if you are in the area. Great food, excellent service. They catch their own lobsters, they cater and have won many awards including best seafood, best chowder, best lobster roll…the list goes on. In the summer they have an outside picnic area. If you can’t come to Petey’s, Petey’s can come to you, as they ship fresh live lobsters, steamers, and lobster meat right to your door.
Be sure to check their website for hours of operation, the full menu and catering information! http://www.peteys.com/
Enjoy!
This is an easy dish any time of year and anyplace you may be. You don’t have to be in Key West to make them although that’s always a fun place to be! You don’t want to marinate the chicken for too long as this recipe has lime juice in it. I let it marinate for the amount of time it takes me to cut up vegetables and skewer to grill alongside the chicken.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 Tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons of honey
- 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- skewers, soaked in water.
DIRECTIONS
Cut the chicken into 1-2 inch cubes, skewer on to bamboo sticks that have been soaked in water to prevent burning on the grill. Place the skewers in a food storage container. Add all of the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Pour the marinade over the chicken skewers being sure to coat all of the chicken. Let marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
When you are ready to grill simply remove the skewers from the container and discard leftover marinade. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side or until juices run clear.
Enjoy!
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