Moroccan Chickpea and Barley Salad

This side dish has a unique flavor profile with a combination of spices, dried apricots and pistachios.
It is an excellent side dish for smoked meats or barbeque.

Recipe Source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups barley
Olive oil
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and dried
1 cup shelled pistachio nuts (you could substitute pine nuts)
1 cup diced dried apricots (you could substitute dried dates)
3 chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp, cardamom
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. tumeric
Salt to taste

Instructions

Cook the barley according to manufacturer's instructions, using salted water or chicken broth.
Once cooked strain the barley and rinse with cold water to cool it. Drain as much water as you can.
Lay the barley out on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to coat well and set aside.

In bowl, combine chickpeas, nuts, apricots, green onions and parsley, Add the zest and juice of the lemon and mix again. Add barley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the spices on top and toss to mix well.
Add salt to taste.

Allow the salad to sit and marinate for an hour before serving. Drizzle with additional olive oil just before serving.

Apricot Pecan Mini-Tarts

Sweet little tarts with a flaky crust and fruity center in one delicious bite!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup flour
1/3 cup finely snipped dried apricots
1 egg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

For the pastry, beat the 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until well combined. Stir in flour. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Press a rounded teaspoon of dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of 24 ungreased 1 3/4-inch muffin cups.

For the filling, pour enough boiling water over the chopped dried apricots to cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well. Stir together egg, brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Stir in pecans and drained apricots. Spoon one heaping teaspoon of filling into each pastry-lined muffin cup.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool slightly and transfer to wire racks to cool completely,

Orange Apricot Punch

Ingredients

1 can thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 liter bottle ginger ale.
1 small orange, sliced.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in pitcher. Add ice and garnish with orange slices.

Peach or Apricot Butter

Ingredients

3 pounds fresh ripe peaches or apricots
Sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Wash, pit and peel fruit. Cut into small pieces. Measure the amount of fruit (in cups) and add to crock pot. Add 1/2 cup sugar for each cup of fruit. Add cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on high for 4 - 5 hours. Uncover and cook on high for an additional 4 - 5 hours. Stir occasionally.
After cooking, cook and place in blender and puree or puree using an immersion blender.
Pour into jars. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later use.

Katy's Hint:
You can easily remove the skin from peaches or apricots by blanching. Put whole fruit into a pan of rapidly boiling water for one minute. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon. Rinse with cold water. The skin should slide right off.

Apricot Coconut Bars

Ingredients for the Base:

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter or  margarine, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup apricot preserves

Ingredients for the Filling

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Combine cake mix and melted butter. Mix at low speed until crumbly. Stir in almonds. Reserve one cup of the mixture.
Press the remaining in the bottom of the greased pan.
Carefully spread one cup of apricot preserves over the pressed base  mixture.
In same bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, salt, flour, vanilla and egg. At low speed, mix in preserves.
Carefully spread over apricot layer in pan, being careful not to mix the two.
Combine the reserved cup of base mixture with coconut. Sprinkle over filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and center is set.
Cool and cut into bars.

Apricot Thumbprints

I love these simple cookies - small little bites of goodness. They could also be called Fig Thumbprints or Strawberry Thumbprints, depending on the type of jam you choose to use.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
Apricot preserves or a jam of your choice


Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat butter in large bowl for about one minute. Add brown sugar and salt. Beat until well combined. Beat in egg yolk and almond extract until combined. Add in flour.
Shape into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place balls on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and indent the center of each cookie with your thumb (that is where they get the name thumbprint cookies). Place about 1/2 teaspoon preserves or jam in each cookie indentation. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire racks.
Makes about 28 cookies.

Apricot Pecan Flatbread

This is a wonderful blend of flavors.


Ingredients

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 Tablespoon butter
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap rolls but do not separate.
Press dough into a rectangular crust on a baking sheet. Mix jam with softened butter. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with pecans and Gorgonzola. Bake for 13 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Top with fresh thyme. Cut into squares or strips.