Sarah Sellers, one of the most-robbed "American Idol" contestants of Season 10 and a food blogger in her spare time, has been posting her "Idol" viewing-party snack recipes in Reality Rocks all season long, each night cooking up a feast that corresponds to that week's "Idol" theme. For Elton John Week, it was British pub grub; for Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Week, she fried up Elvis-inspired fritters; for Movie Week, nachos and pizza were the main attractions; for 21st Century Week, it was healthy nouveau cuisine; for the Carole King theme, she put her own twist on items from the restaurant named after Carole's song, "Hard Rock Cafe"; for "Now & Then" week, she served a modern crab tart appetizer as well as an old-fashioned meatball recipe; and for Leiber & Stoller week, Sarah looked to Leiber & Stoller's blues/New Orleans roots for culinary inspiration.
This week, the final three compete for a spot next week's big finale. This is serious stuff, "Idol" fans. So this occasion calls for a serious meal, something meaty. Sarah's Mediterranean Chicken Bites recipe should hit the spot. Happy viewing--and eating!
Mediterranean Chicken Bites
Yields 10 bites
**To make this a really quick recipe, substitute with store-bought hummus and olive tapenade. If you make the entire recipe below, you will have extra hummus and tapenade for dipping (and it's pretty tasty, too).
Ingredients
Hummus
▪ 1 15oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
▪ 2 large garlic cloves
▪ 1/3 cup tahini paste
▪ 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, canned
▪ 1/4 cup parsley
▪ 1/2 lemon, juiced
▪ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Olive Tapenade
▪ 1/2 lb Greek olive mix, pitted and drained
▪ 1 garlic clove
▪ 1 tbsp anchovy paste
▪ 1 tbsp lemon juice
▪ 3 basil leaves
▪ 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Chicken
▪ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
▪ kosher salt and pepper
▪ 1 tbsp olive oil
▪ 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
▪ egg wash
▪ flour
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To make the hummus, place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and set aside. Wipe clean.
For the tapenade, place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until chunky and well-combined. Do not puree.
Heat an outdoor grill or indoor griddle over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil or Pam cooking spray. Season the chicken breast with the salt and pepper and brush with the olive oil. Grill until completely cooked through, around 5-6 minutes per side. Cut into bite-size pieces.
Place the puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a cookie-cutter, cut five 3-inch circles into the pastry. Discard the excess pastry and brush the tops of the circles with the egg wash. Bake until golden-brown and puffed. Remove from the oven and slice in half to make mini-sandwiches.
Spread the hummus on the bottom of the puff pastry, top with the chicken, then top with the olive tapenade.
Check out Sarah's food and music blogs at http://sarahsmusicalkitchen.com/
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