Recipe review: Hummus salad dressing, Mediterranean salad

Last week, Kalyn's Kitchen posted a recipe for Mediterranean Salad with Hummus Dressing, and I made it for dinner that night. I mean, hummus-based dressing -- how genius is that?

To suit our tastes, I made a few tweaks.

• Added a sliced roasted chicken breast, for added protein. (Picked up at the deli.)
• Swapped out red wine vinegar for the lime juice in the dressing. (To suit the hubs' taste.)
• Added a little Splenda; again for my husband. I love things sour; him, not so much. (I mean he doesn't like things sour; not that I don't love him so much!)
• Substituted sun dried tomato slices for the olives, since neither of us are olive fans.
• Sprinkled a little zaahtar seasoning on top.

It made a tasty, easy-to-throw together meal. Still plenty zesty, even with the tweaks. Two thumbs up!

Places to eat in Wichita: Le Monde

I've been to Le Monde three or four times -- well, at this location, anyway. Years ago, there was a Le Monde downtown, but I don't know if that was the same owners.

The West Street one looks like it was a fast food joint in a former life, but it's been updated on the inside and out with a homier look.

The menu offers a mix of Americanized Euro-ish favorites: quesadillas, ravioli, chicken moutarde; and the Lebanese offerings which are (happily) commonplace in Wichita: hummus, fattoush, and schawarma. The entrees are dominated by pasta offerings: eight, to be exact.

Homemade biscuits are served free while you peruse the menu. Although delicious, they seem a little out of place with the Euro/Mid-Eastern slant of the menu: they taste just like my grandma's shortbread (American farm food), and the ones we were served this time tasted like they'd just come out of the oven.

I usually get the fattoush salad with chicken, but today I was in the mood for something different, so I ordered a gyro. I've never had one before, so I have nothing to compare it to or to judge how authentic it was. But it was yummy! The seasoned ground beef (and/or lamb?), tasted sort of like breakfast sausage. A good thing, in my book. The tomato and tsaziki sauce was the perfect complement, adding a contrast without overwhelming. The pita bread was soft and puffy.  My daughter was scared off by the tsaziki (yogurt and cucumber sauce), but after she had a taste, she didn't want to give it back to me. It's served with a generous side salad of your choice -- my choice: fattoush, of course!

When she ordered, she stuck to what she knew: chicken schawarma. (Or schwarma.) This dish is pretty common in Wichita. The base of it is hummus -- which I can be fairly picky about, since I have a pretty rockin' homemade version. Then that is topped with chicken schawarma and, usually, some grilled onions, pine nuts, olive oil and/or paprika. Le Monde tops theirs with pickles (housemade, I think), and fresh tomatoes. 

The chicken is tasty, but not remarkable. I give their hummus a thumbs up. And yes, I know I've already said that the pita bread was great, but it bears another mention! I wish they'd serve pita for the free appetizer, with some zahtaar seasoning and good olive oil. But then again, I'd probably just fill up on that! So maybe it's a good thing (for my waistline) they don't.

25 Super Bowl Recipes, Part 3: Cold Dips

Day 3 in our round-up of 25 Super Bowl treats: cold dips.

A quick, easy, cold Shrimp Dip from SimplyRecipes. 

Perhaps the best-loved, most classic party dip: 7-Layer Taco Dip. And who better to turn to than Pioneer Woman? (Personally, though, I'm perfectly happy to skip making the guac from scratch; I use Wholly Guacamole Picante Style. And if you're making a version of this classic that involves taco seasoning mix, check out my low-sodium, sugar-free recipe.) 

Here's a new twist on that old favorite: 7-layer Greek Dip. And for that, you'll need hummus. Coming right up...

I refused to try hummus for years, based on the name alone. Don't follow my example! This is yummy (and healthy) stuff. And homemade hummus is so easy. My recipe is based on this one from Martha Stewart, but I take a quicker route than oven-roasting the garlic, and replace the cayenne with cumin. More authentic, in my opinion. 

Garlic Hummus
3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 T. tahini
3 T. lemon juice
3 T. water
3/4 t. kosher salt
3/4 t. cumin
3 T. pine nuts
paprika, for garnish, optional

Put the garlic in a small microwave-safe dish, and add just enough olive oil to lightly coat the pieces. Microwave on medium for 40 seconds, stirring once. (This mellows it a bit, takes off the strong bite.)

Add the garlic, chickpeas, the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, water, kosher salt and cumin to a food processor. Process until very smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary: add more cumin, salt, and/or fresh-ground pepper.

Spread the hummus on a plate, leaving an inch or more around the edge. If not serving soon, refrigerate till half-hour before serving.

Optional: Toast the pine nuts, being careful not to burn them. (You can do this in a dry skillet on the stovetop, or with olive oil the same way the garlic was done.)

Drizzle some olive oil over the hummus, scatter the pine nuts over it, and sprinkle lightly with paprika for color.

Serve with pita chips, wheat thins, and/or crisp vegetables such as cucumber or hicama.