THE VERDICT:
We never ended up making the crackers themselves. Zayden has recently transitioned for three naps down to two, which has moved his bedtime a little earlier, so we’ve been sitting down to dinner earlier and the afternoon snack is no longer needed. We did end up making our own hummus using a recipe I’ve had for ages and have always used with great success. I got it out of Seventeen magazine (*blush*) when I was in high school, and it has been one of my staple party foods ever since. I often add a little more garlic than the recipe calls for because I believe there is no such thing as too much garlic, and I think it tastes better if you use fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of the kind from a bottle.
I ended up using the hummus and veggies that we bought for this recipe to make a pretty tasty lunch: I smeared a pita with hummus, topped it with sliced tomato and cucumber, sprinkled on some salt and pepper and folded it up like a taco and took it on a picnic. Very yummy. Zayden also enjoyed the hummus. It’s definitely a very baby-friendly food. It’s a puree with few ingredients, so great for a little guy just starting solids. It’s also an excellent protein alternative if your little one hasn’t quite warmed up to meat yet. And I know lots of moms with older kids who use hummus to trick their kids into eating more veggies because it’s such a popular dip. Definitely a food that will please the whole family.
If you want to try it yourself. . .
THE RECIPES:
Hummus (source: Seventeen magazine)
1 pound can of chickpeas
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
paprika
olive oil
freshly chopped parsley
- Pour some of the liquid from the chickpeas into a food processor or blender. Then drain the chickpeas.
- Add lemon juice, garlic and tahini to the food processor or blender. Blend together.
- Add chickpeas, salt and pepper. Blend again.
- Spoon into a bowl. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika and parsley.
- Chill.
- Serve with pita or veggies for dipping.
Mediterranean Crackers (source: Clean Eating magazine)
5 Armenian whole-wheat crackers, or similar, topped with:
2 Tbsp. hummus
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1 tsp. lemon zest
Makes 1 serving.
THE VERDICT:
