Dinner Party: Hummus from Around the World

We have dear dear friends who are finally expecting! They have been through so many trials on this road and we are so so happy for them that they are officially in the second trimester!

We had a dinner party planned before they made their announcement. They are complete foodies so I was so excited it was our turn to host so I could finally get inventive and get cooking for the first time in a long time! So as the day approached, I followed pregnant girl protocol - what are you eating these days?

The response {exact words} "cold stuff like hummus and salads"

My text response, "Great!" My thought response, "What am I going to serve at this dinner party?"

I talked with the hubby about options. I had drawn up a couple of menus, all consisting of things my friend could eat and more fall, warm foods for everyone else. My husbands words will FOREVER change the way that I look at menu planning for people, especially pregnant ones.

The words of wisdom: "When you were pregnant, how did you feel when people were eating something you couldn't have or didn't want to have?"

Great..now I feel terrible. His solution:

Hummus Spread

He is a genius!

So I started planning..2 days before our company arrived. It was definitely not enough time to make all the different hummus and any other fixings. So I compromised. I purchased the hummus that was our favorites and made the salads and hummus that I had never had before. I know your not supposed to try new things, but I always try new things with dinner parties. Worst case - you order pizza or Chinese :).

The Menu

Hummus Selection

Tuscan Hummus - Italy: I purchased Sabra Tuscan Garden Hummus, but would have used this recipe.

Red Lentil Hummus - Middle East: I purchased Giant Brand Red Lentil, but would have used this recipe.

Edamame Hummus - Oriental: I purchased Eat Well, Embrace Life from BJ's Warehouse, but would have used this recipe.

Black Bean Hummus - Mexico: I purchased Eat Well, Embrace Life from BJ's Warehouse, but would have used this recipe.

Garlic Lovers Hummus - Just For Fun: {Seraphina's favorite} I purchased Cedar's from BJ's Warehouse, but would have used this recipe.

Coconut Curry Hummus - India: I used this recipe, but Hope Foods has this flavor if you can find it near you. {Tip: for the recipe, I ended up adding half of the can of coconut to cut the curry enough. My suggestion is either cut a Tablespoon of curry or add the extra coconut milk.}

Salad Options

Tabbouleh - Lebanon

Couscous - Morocco

Other Dips

Olive Tapenade - Greece

Tzataiki - Greece: I found this recipe hard to decipher. So this is my recipe:

1/2 English cucumber or 1 Whole Cucumber, seeded and grated
16 oz. Plain Greek Yogurt
1 clove of garlic, minced {I use a garlic press}
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 c. dill
salt and pepper to taste

 - squeeze grated cucumber in cheesecloth {I used double layer of paper towels}
 - add with yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar and dill. Fold carefully to combine.
 - Taste then salt and pepper as needed.

Chilled Soup

Beet and Celery Soup - served along with the horseradish sour cream and chives {which was a hit by the way. I don't care for horseradish and it tasted just as good with plain sour cream}

Beet and Celery Soup

Dessert
For dessert we went to Whole Foods and just got an assortment of pastries and some dark chocolate salted caramel truffles {which I am enjoying as I type}.


The Reaction

It made my day when my friend said, "I literally can eat everything on the table and it all looks good!" We sent her home with several kinds of hummus, olive tapenade and the leftover soup - which she had 2 servings of here! 

Pregnant girl dinner party win! I was just so happy that she enjoyed the food and ate to her content.

And just for her husband {and an extra for you}, here is my Iced Tea recipe :)

Not too Sweet Tea
4 c. of water
4 black tea bags {we use decaf}
1/3 c. Turbinado Sugar {I'm sure you can use the same amount of granulated}
Mint
Extra Water

1. Boil water then turn off and add tea bags. Let steep 25-30 mins.
2. Put Sugar and Mint into pitcher and add tea. Stir well.
3. Add water to top of pitcher - approx. 6 c.
4. Chill and enjoy!


I hope you enjoyed a peek at our dinner party! Hummus is usually a favorite of our friends so we always have it on hand for parties. Not this many - but one or two.

What is your favorite hummus and would you ever host a hummus tasting party?

You may also like:

1 comment

  1. It was an amazing dinner party, and all the more special because you were so thoughtful and considerate. And now, thanks to this awesome post, I can relive it whenever I want! Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete

© Managing A Home. Design by MangoBlogs.