Mediterranean 7-Layer Dip
-Hummus
-Muhammara
-Tzatziki
-Feta, crumbled
-Kalamata Olives, sliced in rounds
-Red Bell Pepper, chopped fine
-Toasted Nuts (pine nuts or walnuts)
Grab your immersion blender. It will be your friend for the dips to follow…
Hummus
-You can buy pre-made Hummus (Trader Joes / Tribe have the best plain hummus to my taste buds). Making it yourself is a cinch and lets you decide how tangy you want it or customize, customize. 4 parts garbanzo beans to 1/3 part tahini (sesame paste), 1/4 part of lemon juice, 1 T olive oil, 2 quartered garlic cloves, pinch of salt. Blend!
Muhammara
I was craving Muhammara and this got my creative juices rolling in the direction of a healthy snack for the Super Bowl. I haven’t seen any premade Muhammara in stores- if you’re lucky to live in an area with a Middle Eastern grocer, you might get lucky. The idea here is simple. Roasted red bell peppers and toasted walnuts. Lots of Vitamin C and protein/good fats. As I am wont to do, I didn’t have roasted bell peppers, so I improvised. I used 2 parts toasted walnuts to 1 part Trader Joes Organic Roasted Tomato and Red Bell Pepper soup, added 1 part of regular minced red bell pepper and blended. Along the way, I added Sumac and some paprika to taste. Because I like heat and thought this would make the dip really shine, I added 1 T Sriracha (or you can use another hot sauce) and hit blend for a moment to get the hot sweet sauce well distributed. This gives just a bit of a bite at the end of what is a savory dip with a sweet edge. You know I canned a bit to go with the leftover tagine in my fridge… That’s the basics to making the dip. You want to add to taste and make sure the consistency is neither paste nor soup- it should be rather stiff with a slight fluidity.
Tzatziki
I tend to be a bit untraditional even in my love of tradition. In my tzatziki, I decided to leave the cucumbers in the fridge and instead use grated zucchini. Greek yogurt meets dill and garlic, a smidge of kosher salt and my zucchini et voila. 2 parts good fatty Greek yogurt (thick and creamy) with 1 garlic clove, several shakes of dill and a pinch of salt. Blend. Add 2 parts grated zucchini and stir. Chill until ready to use.
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Assemble each of the dips as indicated above. Pour hummus into serving container. Pour Muhammara on top of Hummus. Refrigerate overnight. Make Tzatziki the day you are planning to serve the dip. Pour Tzatziki over Muhammara. Then place the olives down on top. Sprinkle feta on top of the olive layer and then toss red bell peppers and lastly fleck the surface with your toasted nuts right before serving so they retain an accent of crunch. Serve with pita chips. Enjoy!
