Many will agree that there are very few things in life as rewarding as good food. For people who love good cuisine, it is difficult to beat the excitement that fresh ingredients and delectably concocted recipes bring. Great meals can not only help lift the mood, but can also make your times with family and friends more exciting and memorable. Every successful meal should start with a quality appetizer, and every successful appetizer needs to pack a punch in terms of bold flavors to set the tone for the rest of the meal. One of the ingredients that never fails to add a spark of life to your hors-d’oeuvre is Middle Eastern staple hummus.
Hummus is a dip or spread which usually contains mashed, boiled chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini and garlic. There are many variations of this basic recipe and many interesting combinations are possible. Your home in Canada is one of the best places to enjoy this refreshing dip as Canada is one of the top five exporters of chickpeas in the world, growing about 158,000 tonnes of the plant in a calendar year. Apart from enjoying the authentic hummus recipe as an integral part of your dips and spreads, you can cook a wealth of easy appetizers with hummus. Hummus recipes are easy to make and rich with nutrients, with just one cup of hummus supplying you with 36% of your recommended foliate intake. Let us take a look at some quick and easy appetizers with hummus –
- Take some fresh tomatoes and cut their tops off. Scoop out the flesh from the middle and fill with hummus using a piping bag. You can use any kind of tomato and add a bit of surprise by using different flavors of hummus for each individual tomato.
- Do the traditional pita wedges with hummus. Toast wedges of pita bread and serve on a large platter with a bowl of hummus in the center.
- You must have tried many different devilled egg recipes. Why not try one with hummus? Instead of the yolk filling, put the hummus inside the egg with a piping bag for a wonderful burst of flavor.
- Prepare a crunchy crostini and serve on top of hummus garnished with freshly chopped parsley for great contrast of textures.
- If you love a nice Melba toast, try serving some with a dollop of hummus on top. Great to start off a meal on a light, crunchy and tasty note.
- You can make your own take on Mediterranean recipes by using a hummus dip along with crispy tortilla chips loaded with sliced cilantro, avocado and fiery jalapenos.
- You can prepare a delicious salad using crunchy cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pitted olives and feta cheese and use hummus as the dressing for the perfect finish.
Try these recipes with hummus at home and you will have all the easy appetizers you need to make that family meal more intersting.
