August 18, 2014

Individual Mediterranean Dips & A Summer Party!

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Quick and easy to make, these individual mediterranean dips are perfect for parties! With layers of hummus, veggies and greek salad flavors, they’re fresh and fun. Gluten free and vegetarian with a dairy free / vegan option.

Several Individual Mediterranean Dips on a white platter.

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Pacific Foods. As always, all opinions and content are my own.

It’s party time! And what a party this was. Remember when I told you about how our air conditioning broke right before we had friends over?

Yup, that was this day. But see, no one looks too sweaty or anything! It was alllll good (well, other than me just complaining about the heat).

I really did learn to roll with the punches for this summer party. We were planning on having the whole thing outside, setting up some cornhole, you know. Outdoor fun.

And then it decided to rain all. day. long. For several days straight. Inside it was!

Several people enjoying appetizers around a kitchen table.

Black frames with build your own sandwich bar instructions.

Keep It Casual and Simple

As much as I love elaborate dinners and the like, when it comes to summer entertaining I want simple. Plain and simple. I’m funny, huh?

I picked as many things as possible that could be made ahead of time or required little prep work.

A few easy appetizers and a build-your-own sandwich bar. So fun, right? Think mostly picnic-y foods. You’re going to want to eat it all – so good!

A few people enjoying appetizers set up on a wooden table.

Easy Appetizers

All the prep work for these dishes could be done a day or a few hours in advance. All I had to do was heat up the cheesy delicious dip and party!

– Individual mediterranean dips (recipe at the bottom of this post!) served with plenty of pita chips. Sort of along the lines of a mexican seven layer dip but with mediterranean flavors instead! Including yummy Pacific Foods’ hummus and greek salad-esq veggies and feta!

– Pacific Foods’ salsa con queso dip with bread cubes and sliced apples. Cheesy goodness combined with a little sweetness from the apples to get that sweet and savory thing going on. A must. The bread doesn’t hurt either. This platter was completely demolished in no time.

Mediterranean Hummus Dip in individual cups set on a white platter.

Someone dunking an apple slice into a cheesy dip.

Build-Your-Own Sandwich Bar

Below is what I served, but this is something you could easily switch up to your own preferences.

I tried to pick a variety of options with plenty of combinations – you could go mexican with some tortillas, refried beans and salsa. Or classic, with some chicken and cheese. Or mediterranean with hummus, roasted veggies and mustard! Or you could really go crazy and be adventurous and make the sandwich your own.

Breads:

marbled rye
multigrain
flour tortillas

Proteins:

hummus, such as Pacific Foods’ organic hummus
refried beans, such as Pacific Foods’ organic refried black beans
sliced roasted chicken

Toppings:

roasted summer veggies (eggplant, squash, onion)
mango salsa
alfalfa sprouts
thinly sliced red onion
cheese slices

Condiments:

honey mustard
pepper jelly
plain greek yogurt

Side Dish:

strawberry quinoa balsamic salad

A few people making platters at a build your own sandwich bar.

Relax and Enjoy

I set up a few printed signs that clearly labeled all the food, put out a disposable tablecloth and everything was good to go. None of the food was anything that had to be attended to during the party, so I could just sit back and relax.

Emma also had a grand ol’ time.

1. Calming observing all the food set up on the table.
2. The agitated “why are you not giving me any of this” look.
3. Please? Don’t you see how cute I am!?

A cute beagle trying to get food off a table.

A cute beagle begging for food.

Parting Words of Wisdom?

My advice for summer parties – keep everything as simple and easy as possible.

That way you can enjoy the company. Even if that means sitting inside on a rainy day in a super warm house. It will still be plenty of fun, I promise.

Individual Mediterranean Dips | cookiemonstercooking.com

Individual Mediterranean Dips

Yield: 9 individual dips
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Quick and easy to make, these individual mediterranean dips are perfect for parties! With layers of hummus, veggies and greek salad flavors, they’re fresh and fun. Gluten free and vegetarian with a dairy free / vegan option.

Ingredients

  • 2 small cucumbers, peeled and diced
  • 2 small green bell peppers, diced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
  • ½ cup minced red onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 9 (9 ounce) plastic cups
  • 2 (12 ounce) packages Pacific Foods’ roasted red pepper hummus (or your favorite hummus)
  • 1 cup crumbled feta*
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • pita chips, for serving**

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, add the cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, vinegar, salt, oregano and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
  2. To assemble, in each plastic cup, spoon in some of the hummus and smooth into an even layer. Using a slotted spoon to remove any excess moisture, spoon some of the veggie mixture on top of the hummus. Top with a sprinkle of the feta. Repeat this process to fill the cup. Sprinkle the top with a touch of lemon zest.
  3. Place one pita chip in the cup for garnish if desired. Serve with additional chips.

Notes

*To keep these dairy free / vegan - omit the feta and substitute with pitted olives or sun-dried tomatoes to taste.

**To keep these gluten free - serve with gluten free chips.

You can make the veggie mixture ahead of time. Then all you have to do is assemble when ready to enjoy.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 560mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 9g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: Mediterranean / Category: Appetizers
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Pacific Foods. As always, all opinions and content are my own. Thank you for reading and letting me share companies that I love. 

Appetizers, Dairy Free, Game Day, Gluten Free, Recipes (ALL), Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian
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