Shish Taouk (Lebanese Chicken Kabobs)

These are some of the tastiest chicken kabobs you'll ever make. It takes a bit of time, many great ingredients, and lots of garlic, but when you make and eat these, you'll always want more! Serve these with Naan or pita and some traditional Middle Eastern side-dishes if you'd like. I suggest you make a cucumber yogurt sauce and a little spicy Zhoug Sauce.

Marinade
1/2 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt (Fage is best)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 lemons, juiced
2 Tbsp double-strength tomato paste
6-8 large garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp Za'atar seasoning (if you can't find that use sumac)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks (about 2- 2 1/2 pounds)

Combine marinade until smooth. Place chicken in a large glass dish. Combine chicken with the marinade until well covered. Cover dish and refrigerate. Marinade anywhere from 2-8 hours. I find that about 3-4 hours is good.

Place chicken on metal skewers with no space between the chicken. This should make about 8 skewers or more. If you don't have metal skewers, use bamboo ones that have been soaked in water for about 15 minutes.

Grill on high heat for 10-15 minutes, turning to char all sides. Chicken should be tender and well done. This is a very tenderizing marinade, so it should be fall apart tender and not dry.

Serve hot with grilled veggies like peppers zucchini, and onions. Serve with cucumber, tomatoes, hummus or whatever you like. It also is good on top of a bed of rice or couscous.

Leftovers are delicious too!

Greek Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

16 oz Orecchiette pasta cooked al dente
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 small English cucumber, cut into half moons
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Greek olives, cut in half
15.5 oz can chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained
2 cups (about 2 large handfuls) of greens, such as chopped romaine lettuce or spinach or a combination of both
8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled

Greek-Style Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 glove garlic, pressed through garlic press or finely shopped
1 tsp. dried oregano (crumbled)
1 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Mix well or shake in a jar to combine

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, marinaded in Italian or Greek Dressing (make another batch of the dressing listed above for this) for at least 4-6 hours, but not more than 24 hours

Directions
Right after cooking the pasta, rinse pasta with cold water to stop it from cooking. Drain well and place in a very large serving bowl (this recipe will feed about 8 people) add the olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. Refrigerate pasta to cool it completely.

Stir the next 9 ingredients into the pasta, mixing well. These amounts are very forgiving, so it's fine if the amounts are more or less than listed above.

Add the Greek-style dressing to the pasta salad and you can either refrigerate until ready to serve or proceed to grill the chicken,

Pound raw chicken until about 1 inch thick. Grill chicken on high about 10 minutes or until juices run clear, discarding the marinade.

Cut chicken into strips or cubes. Add chicken to the pasta salad or you can serve it on the side and let each person add the chicken to their own salad. You can also add the chicken to the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve if you prefer your chicken cold rather than warm.

Serve pasta salad as a main dish or it can be a side dish. This will feed 8 people a main course or 12-15 people as a side dish. If you want to make it for a main course, you can complete the meal with a fruit salad and a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade.

This salad makes great leftovers too!

Enjoy!

Hummus a la Smooth and Creamy

The secret to smooth hummus is the baking soda. Don't leave this out. While this method of making hummus is more time-consuming, it is worth the extra effort if you love smooth hummus like you buy in the stores. Use quality ingredients since it takes so much time and don't worry if measurements aren't exact because this is a very forgiving recipe!

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 tsp. baking soda (divided)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (divided) - about 2-3 lemons
4 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup ice cold water
2/3 cup tahini
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp. ground cumin
Olive oil

Soak chickpeas in a bowl with 1 tsp. of baking soda and cold water - about 2 inches above the chickpeas. Soak overnight (8-12 hours), then drain and rinse.

Place chickpeas in a saucepan with cold water 2 inches above the chickpeas and 1 tsp. baking soda. Bring to a boil and turn to low and partially cover with a lid (don't cover completely or you'll have a mess). Simmer for 30-45 minutes until peas are tender and falling apart. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, put 1/3 cup of lemon juice, whole garlic cloves and salt into a food processor and process until the garlic is broken up. Let it sit or mellow out for 10 minutes. Strain the lemon juice (using a fine mess strainer) and get as much juice out as possible. Throw away the solid garlic or save for another use.

Rinse all solid pieces of garlic out of the food processor and put the lemon-garlic juice back into the food processor, along with tahini. With the food processor running, add ice cold water a tablespoon at a time until it is smooth, pale and thick, scraping down the sides at least once. Add the cooked chickpeas and cumin and run the processor for about 4 minutes or more until the hummus is smooth, creamy and thick. Scrape down the sides about every minute. If hummus is too thick, taste it and if it needs more lemon, add a little bit of lemon juice at a time to get it to the consistency you like. Add more salt if needed and cumin to your taste.

Place the hummus in a 4 cup bowl or larger and cover with plastic wrap. Hummus might be very warm and tastes better if it is cold and allowed to rest so flavors can develop.

To serve, generously drizzle olive oil on top. You can sprinkle with hot smoked paprika, ground cayenne for a spicier version, parsley, pine nuts, a good pesto sauce, sundried tomatoes or just about anything you like.

Serve with pita chips, pita bread, raw veggies or flatbread. Makes about 4 cups.

Copy Cat Panera Mediterranean Chicken Salad

3 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup dry quinoa
4 stalks kale, washed and chopped into smaller pieces
1-2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped into smaller pieces
1 medium tomato, chopped (no need to seed)
2-3 green onions, sliced, including green part
1 cup English cucumber, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup kalamata olives (whole or sliced in half)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3/4-1 cup feta cheese (divided)

Rinse quinoa and place in a medium pan with 2 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then put on simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Place quinoa in the freezer to cool down to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, pound the chicken and make the marinade/dressing (see recipe below). Place raw chicken and about half the marinade in a gallon bag and marinade on the counter while preparing the rest of the salad.

Heat grill to high.

Dry kale with paper towels and place in a large salad bowl. Add 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and massage the kale until it turns a bright green and becomes a little limp. This will take out the bitter flavor of the kale.

Place the romaine in the bowl with the kale and mix thoroughly. Add chopped tomato, green oinion, cucumbers, olives, almonds and 1/2 cup feta cheese on top of the greens.

Remove chicken from marinade and toss the marinade. Grill chicken on medium until juices run clear (about 15 minutes or so). Cut up chicken into think slices.

Remove quinoa from freezer and put about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the quinoa on top of the salad. Top with chicken.

Just before serving add the salad dressing (should be about half left) and toss salad gently. Top salad with additional feta cheese and serve in large salad bowls.

Makes 4 generous dinner salads with possible leftovers.

Greek Marinade and salad dressing
1/2 cup good red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 larger cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp evaporated cane sugar
1-2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil slowly to emulsify the dressing. It should come together easily, but if it looks oily, it means you're pouring the olive oil in too quickly. SLOW DOWN!

Greek Quinoa Salad

 Dressing

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 clove garlic, smashed and finely chopped to a paste
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A couple grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups cooked quinoa (any variety works)
1-2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered or halved
¼ - ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 green onions (green and pale green part), thinly sliced
½ cup red onion, halved and thinly sliced or diced
1-2 cups English cucumber, cut into small dice
2 pickled cherry peppers, diced (optional)
Crumbled Feta Cheese (I start with ½ cup, but usually sprinkle more on top)

Directions
Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, garlic and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the salad to allow the flavors to meld.

Make quinoa according to the directions on the package so as to make 4 cups. Be sure to rinse quinoa before cooking! Transfer to a LARGE bowl, fluff with a fork and let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. I make mine a day ahead and then I start with cold quinoa which is best.

Add the tomatoes, olives, green onions, red onions, cucumber, cherry peppers if using, and dressing and toss to coat. Add crumbled Feta cheese and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate to blend flavors or eat immediately! The longer it sits the better the flavor.

This makes a lot of salad; enough to last several days for lunch or for a meal (serve with a side of grilled chicken). I also serve it on a large bed of romaine, cut up as it adds a nice crunch.

Greek Seasoning

Greek Seasoning

• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon dried mint
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion or onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic or granulated garlic

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Spinach and Feta

1/2 c. onion, chopped
16 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
2 - 1 pound pork tenderloins
5-7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves crushed (or 1 tsp. granulated garlic powder)
Greek seasoning (see below)
Kosher salt
Olive oil
kitchen string

Heat 1 Tbsp.  oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and saute till soft. Add crushed garlic cloves and saute an additional 30 seconds. Add spinach and saute until all moisture evaporates from spinach. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cut each pork tenderloin lengthwise to about 1/2 inch of cutting through to butterfly the tenderloin. Pound pork to 1/4 inch thickness. Distribute half the spinach over each of the tenderloins. Top with feta cheese. Roll each tenderloin like a jelly roll, starting at the long side. Tie in 5 places with kitchen string to hold in place. Coat the outside of each tenderloin with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of Greek seasoning and Kosher salt (to taste). Allow pork to stand about 30 minutes on the counter (this will warm the meat, so it will stay juicier)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil in an iron skillet (or oven-proof skillet). Add tenderloins and saute' turning to brown all sides. Place skillet in the oven and roast about 25-30 minutes (internal temperature of 150 degrees in thickest part). Transfer pork to cutting board and cover. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Cut kitchen string and slice pork into 1/2 inch slices. If desired, serve with sauce below.

Greek Seasoning

• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon dried mint
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion or onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic or granulated garlic

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Sauce
Drippings from pan
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. low salt chicken broth

Place skillet over medium to high heat and add wine to deglaze pan. Add broth and boil until thickened (about 10 minutes) Spoon sauce over pork.

Greek Chicken Salad in a Pita Pocket

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to flatten slightly
1/2 bottle Italian dressing
Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 package grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. chopped red onion
Greek olives
Feta cheese
Homemade hummus (recipe posted on this blog -- to see, click link)
Pita bread
Homemade dressing (see recipe below)

Marinade chicken in Italian dressing overnight. Grill chicken on preheated gas grill for about 5 minutes on a side. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes and cut on the bias into think strips.

To make pita pocket:  Cut pita bread in half. Stuff cooked chicken in the bottom of the pita pocket, put about 1-2 Tbsp. homemade hummus on top, add, cucumber, tomato, onion, green pepper, Greek olives and feta cheese. Top with a small handful of lettuce and drizzle with homemade dressing.

Homemade dressing: 
In a covered jar, mix 2 oz. red wine vinegar, 2 oz. extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, 3 or 4 grinds of pepper, 2 small garlic cloves, crushed, 1 tsp. dried oregano (crushed in hands), 1/2-1 tsp. honey, small squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Make ahead. Shake well before serving.

Greek-Inspired Chicken Salad

At least 3 hours or a day ahead poach the chicken.
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 slice sweet onion
1/4 lemon -- sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp. flaked salt
In a large skillet, combine wine, onion, lemon, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt, add water so that it will cover the chicken completely. Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes, then turn down heat and add the chicken breasts. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Remove from the heat and uncover, allowing chicken to cool in the liquid about a half hour. Remove chicken and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Discard liquid. Cut chicken into small 1/2-inch cubes and place into a large mixing bowl.

Salad Ingredients
1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch rounds
Olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/2 inch squares
1 cup garlic and herb feta cheese (or if not available, regular feta cheese), crumbled
1/4 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. pitted and quartered kalamata olives
1/2 c. peeled and diced seedless or seeded cucumber

Heat grill to medium high. Brush both sides of the sliced eggplant with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden and slightly soft (about 2 minutes on a side). Put on a cutting board to cool and then diced into 1/2 inch squares. Placed the eggplant and the remaining salad ingredients in the same bowl as the chicken and mix completely.

Dressing:
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 heaping Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 heaping Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
several grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. flaked salt

Whisk dressing ingredients completely and pour a little over half of the chicken-eggplant combination so that it is completely coated. Serve the remaining dressing with the salad if needed.

To serve: Either place in pita bread pockets as a sandwich or serve on a large Romaine leaf of lettuce and make a lettuce wrap. Serve with a side of my homemade hummus, additional pita as needed, and minted iced tea.

Makes 6 very generous portions.

Greek Salad

For each salad:

2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce, washed, and dried
4-5 cucumber slices
6-7 grape tomatoes
1 slice of red onion
3-4 Kalamata olives (halved and pitted)
1-2 Tbsp. non-fat (or regular) Feta cheese

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Red Wine vinegar (use a good vinegar)
Dry or Fresh oregano, basil (start with a half tsp. - add more if you'd like)
Pinch of salt, several grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, crushed and chopped
(alt. -- can add a small amount of sugar or simple syrup to sweeten if too sour)

Mix dressing in a jar with a lid and shake well. Pour over salad sparingly and mix to cover all the veggies.

With low-fat Feta - this salad is about 150 calories. To make it a meal, add 3-4 oz. grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips. This will make your meal around 300 calories, so go ahead and have a glass of red wine with your meal and a small piece of crusty bread without any butter!

This is a summertime favorite!

Greek Marinade with Fresh Herbs

3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 medium lemon)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano (nice handful)
1/2 Tbsp. fresh mint (about 1 stem)
1/2 tsp. fresh dill weed (small sprig)
1 tsp. fresh sage (about 2 large leaves)
1 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mix together in a measuring cup and pour over cut up meat (we used beef, but you could use chicken, lamb, pork). Marinade at least 4-5 hours in the refrigerator.

When ready to grill -- heat grill to high. Take meat out of the refrigerator and allow to warm up. String meat on skewers and grill for doneness.

Greek-Spiced Feta Burgers

Create your own Greek spice mix and add some Feta cheese to the ground beef to make the burger. To complete the burger, make a homemade Tzatziki sauce add some veggies, stuff it into a pita and you've got yourself a Greek sandwich you will never forget! Let's get started!

Greek Spice Mix
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. granulated onion
1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 tsp. dried mint leaves

Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Burgers
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, chuck or ground round works best
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. Greek Spice Mix (see above)
Salt
4 pita pocket bread - sliced on top so burger can fit inside

Thinly sliced English cucumber (about 20 slices)
2 thinly-sliced Roma tomatoes (about 20 slices)
1/4 medium purple onion, thinly-sliced
Chopped lettuce (optional)
Tzatziki Sauce (see recipe below)

Mix the feta cheese and Greek spice into the ground beef. Then roll into a log and cut into desired number of burgers (we made 4). Press out to burger size and salt meat. (see photo below)

Grill burgers for 4-6 minutes on a side on medium high heat. Toast pita bread just before taking burgers off the grill.

Place one burger inside each of the pita pocket bread, then fill the pocket with 2 Tbsp. of Tzatziki sauce. Add cucumber, tomatoes, onion and lettuce to complete the sandwich.


Tzatziki Sauce
1/2 cup Plain (unflavored) Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup peeled cucumber, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried dillweed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for about 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Baba Ghanouj (or Ghanoush) Egglplant Dip

This is a great alternative to hummus -- fewer calories and very healthy!

1.5 pound whole eggplant
1-2 cloves of garlic (start with one)
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (freshly squeezed) - can add more to taste
2-3 Tbsp. tahini - again, can add more to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil + extra for baking eggplant
1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry eggplant. Cover lightly with olive oil and poke eggplant with a small knife or fork several times. Place eggplant on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes until it is soft when poked with a knife. Remove from oven and allow to cool. You can also grill the eggplant to give it a smoky taste. When cooled, the eggplant should deflate and be flat.

Cut open the eggplant and scoop out the flesh, taking out any big chunks of seeds and place flesh into a colander and allow to drain for about 10 minutes. Removing the excess liquid removes most of the bitter flavor.

In a food processor, mix the eggplant flesh with the remaining ingredients, except parsley. Pulse a few times to make it smooth like hummus. Taste and adjust to your own taste and liking. Fold in parsley.

Sprinkle with ground sumac and toasted pinenuts or chili powder and garnish with a little extra olive oil before serving with pita chips, pita bread, or raw veggies. You can also spice it up a bit by adding crushed red pepper (cayenne). For a delicious, refreshing flavor, garnish with fresh mint instead of parsley.

This will keep up to 2 weeks in your refrigerator. I make it a day in advance to allow all the flavors to meld.

Greek Burger Folds with Yogurt Sauce

This is an adaptation of a Pillsbury recipe I had from one of the "Grilling" books. We think it is scruptious!

Burger Folds

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin (or try with part or all ground lamb)

2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled or grated

4 (3-10 inch) soft pita flatbread (not the kind with pocket)

1 thinly sliced roma tomato (medium to large sized)

1/3-1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, thinly sliced

thinly sliced vidalia onion

Sauce

1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

1 large garlic clove, finely minced

Pepper to taste

Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Keep cold until serving time.

Heat grill, In a bowl, combine ground meat, onion, oregano, salt, 2 garlic cloves, feta cheese and mix well. Shape mixture into 4 oblong patties about 6 inches by 2 inches. When grill is hot, place patties on medium heat and cook about 13-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, turning once.

Wrap pita flatbread in foil and heat on grill for the last 5-7 minutes of burger cooking time.

Spread warm pita bread lightly with sauce. Top with cooked patty, tomato, cucumber and onion slices as desired. Put additional sauce on the sandwich and fold sides of pita to eat.

Serve with a Greek lettuce salad and chips or onion rings!

Foil Dinner: Greek Island Fish Packets (A Pampered Chef Recipe)

This recipe is so easy, low calorie, low fat and very filling. And did I mention, it tastes great?!

1 md. onion, sliced

1/2 each green pepper and red pepper, sliced into long strips

1 large zucchini, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 white fish fillets (4-6 oz ea) like tilapia, orange roughy, etc.

salt, pepper

16-20 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced

Mix tomatoes, garlic and Italian seasoning into a small bowl. Divide the veggies into 4 equal piles.  Cut four 20x12 inch pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place one fourth of the veggies on the bottom, spoon 2-3 Tbsp. of  tomato mixture on top, place fish piece on top of veggies, sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and top with 1 Tbsp. tomatoes and sprinkle with 4-5 sliced olives. Repeat for the other 3 foil dinners.

If grilling, preheat your grill and place on grill for about 18-22 minutes or until fish is flakey and veggies are tender-crunch. Turn packets half-way through cooking time.

Otherwise, bake at 375 degrees for about a half hour on a baking sheet. Do not turn packets if baking.

When opening, be careful to allow steam to escape.

Serve with whole wheat couscous.

My (tried and true) Hummus

1 15-16 oz can chick peas, drained (save at least 1/4 cup of liquid for recipe)

1/4 c. tahini sesame paste (be sure to mix first)

3 small cloves or 1 large clove of garlic

3-4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 medium lemon)

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1-2 tsp. honey or agave (start small and add more)

liquid from draining chick peas (start small and add more as needed)

Combine all the ingredients except olive oil and chick pea liquid into a food processor or Vitamix. (If using a Vitamix, you will need to add liquid from can to make it mix). Process until smooth. Add olive oil slowly while the food processor/Vitamix is running. Scrape down sides taste to see if more honey is needed and adjust spices. Add enough chick pea liquid to make it smooth but not runny. The Vitamix will make the hummus a lot creamier - almost fluffy.

Transfer to a glass bowl, cover, and refrigerate to allow flavors to blend and consistency to firm up a bit. Drizzle olive oil on top to serve or place other "add-ins" on top such as pesto basil, red peppers finely chopped, pine nuts,etc. Eat with homemade pita chips, warm pita bread wedges or fresh veggies.

Pita Chips

Cut 3 pieces of pita bread (WW and White both work) into 1/8 pieces. If they are thick, separate, but otherwise leave them together. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet so that they are not stacked. Brush lightly with olive oil on one side, turn over and brush on the other side. Sprinkle with granulated garlic and  kosher salt on side that is facing up. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch closely or they will burn. Turn over after 6 minutes if top is browning and bottom is not. Serve warm with the hummus.

Tabbouleh

This is my own recipe I made up using several ideas from other recipes and also from eating Tabbouleh from a native from Lebanon who quite frankly made one of the best tabbouleh salads I've ever had (but I think mine is even better!)

1 c. cracked what or fine bulgar
1 c. boiling water

Pour boiling water over bulgar, cover and refrigerate for about 30-60 min.

1 very large tomato, seeded and cut up (about 1 cup)
1 very large cucumber, peeled and cut up (about 1 cup)
1 c. finely chopped fresh parsley (curly kind)
1/4 c. finely chopped mild onion or 3 green onions, sliced
1-2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
2-3 heads of garlic, minced
About 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 c. very fine Extra Virgin Olive Oil (may need to add more)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper

Mix above ingredients with the soaked bulgar wheat (liquid should be completely absorbed). If it seems dry, add more olive oil and lemon juice. Dressing should just cling to the ingredients and not form a dressing.

Allow to refrigerate at least 1 hour or longer to meld the flavors together.