Mediterranean Munchies
By Denise Hazime
Active kids need quick, high-protein snacks. Hummus is the perfect option. The Mediterranean dish is tasty, easy to prepare, and full of nutrition. Its cousin, baba ganoush, made from eggplants, is a yummy way to sneak veggies into kids’ diets. Serve both with pita bread, or carrot and celery sticks for extra from-the-garden goodness. Find these and other Mediterranean eats in my book, Idiot’s Guides: The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook (Alpha, 2014).
Traditional Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup tahini paste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, blend chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, and salt for two minutes or until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add Greek yogurt, tahini paste, and extra-virgin olive oil, and blend for one minute or until creamy and well combined.
- Add mint leaves, and pulse for 30 seconds or until you see little specks of green mint throughout.
- Serve, or refrigerate for up to one week.
Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ medium red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
- ½ medium green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 medium radishes, finely diced
- 3 whole green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat a grill top or grill to medium-low heat.
- Place eggplants on the grill and roast on all sides for 40 minutes, turning every five minutes. Immediately place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Remove eggplant stems, and peel off as much skin as possible. (It’s okay if it doesn’t all come off.)
- In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, pulse eggplant seven times. Transfer eggplant to a medium bowl.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add white onion and sauté occasionally for ten minutes. Add onions to eggplant.
- Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and parsley to eggplant and stir well.
- Spread baba ganoush on a serving plate and drizzle remaining two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over top. Sprinkle with cayenne, radishes, and green onions.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
Denise Hazime is the founder of dedemed.com and the author of Idiot’s Guides: The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.
