appetizer Archives - Splash of Sherri

Alex, I’ll take “foods Sherri’s mother never cooked” for 400 please. Originating in Italy, this round food is often filled with a mixture of egg yolk, mustard, and hot sauce.* Alex… What are deviled eggs? That is correct!

If this was a real episode of Jeopardy I would be $400 richer right now. Aside from my opening little joke, I have no cute story to tell for these eggs. All I have to offer is a beautiful photo and delicious recipe. They were not part of my mother’s recipe box or mine for that matter. It was found quite accidentally sitting in a basket, next to the avocados at my local grocery with no name or website attached.

The minute I saw it, just knew I had to try it. I don’t like regular deviled eggs. I’m not a fan of the filling. This recipe seemed perfect and while I was supposed to add the egg yolk to the avocado and mash them together, I must have missed that step somehow. I’m glad I missed it; I think it would have been too rich and mellowed the flavor of the avocado. The original recipe called for a sprinkling of paprika on top. I love the flavor of Za’atar and thought the sesame seeds would add a nice texture. I was right! These are the perfect little bite.

They make a great quick breakfast, light snack, or very deserving as an appetizer. All that’s left my friends is to Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

3 hard-boiled eggs (I like to use extra-large)
1 large avocado
3 teaspoons lime juice (lemon will work as well)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt and pepper
dash of hot sauce (optional)
sliced scallions
Sprinkle with Za’atar (or other spice you like)

Boil the eggs using my method. Click here for the instructions. Cook, cool and carefully peel the eggs. Use a sharp knife and cut the eggs in half vertically. Remove the cooked yolk from the egg and put aside.**

Add the avocado into a wide flat bowl and mash. Add the lime juice, garlic powder, a drop of hot sauce, salt and pepper. Mix together and spoon into each half. You can sprinkle them with any seasoning but I really like the flavor Za’atar adds. Place a couple of scallions on top and that’s it!

*FYI… the hot sauce gives it heat, which is why deviled eggs are called “devil”ed
**Instead of discarding, you could put them aside and make my mom’s thumb cookies with them! Or, if you want, add them to the avocado.

In 2014 there was a hummus shortage! The humble hummus, an irresistible Mediterranean dip made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt got its 15 minutes of fame. Thankfully, that’s been over for quite some time (10 years to be exact!) That’s when I wrote this post. Today I went back to update my recipe and when I read it, was so surprised it was written 10 years ago, where has the time gone? Since then, I’ve made so much hummus and topped it with a variety of delicious things I list later on in the post, so read on!

It’s really easy to make and once you do, you’ll never buy store bought again. You basically put everything into a food processor and let it do it’s job. I even tried my hand at baking pita bread which came out really good. There is a restaurant I love that bakes delicious whole wheat pita and it’s the perfect match for my hummus!

Today, I made what I call 1 – 2 – 3 hummus because I used canned chickpeas. Traditionally it’s made by using dried chickpeas, but that takes too long so I went with canned. If you plan ahead and have the time, definitely use dried. This recipe is so easy and delicious on its own, but I’ve also started to top my hummus with a variety of toppings. When I was in Israel a few years ago I found the best part of hummus is the toppings! One of my favorites there was a hummus topped with roasted eggplant. It was amazing! Here are some other ideas you might like: whole seasoned chickpeas, matbucha, Israeli salad, olives, harissa, roasted garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, a sprinkle of zaatar, sundried tomatoes, everything bagel seasoning, or one of my new favorites, matbucha from NY Shuk that I bought at Whole Foods – it’s amazing! Today I served it with olive tapenade, and it was the perfect compliment to my creamy hummus! However you top it, or don’t top it, dip in and Enjoy!

Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 1/2 cups hummus or 20 1/4 cup servings

2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 cup tahini
1/4 cup water (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves minced (more or less according to taste)
1 teaspoons salt (more if you like)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In the bowl of a food processor, add 2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas, tahini, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and cumin. Process for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and pulse again for 20 seconds. If it’s not thin enough, add a little more water and pulse a few times until blended. I like it very creamy so I’ll let the processor run until the desired texture. Keep in mind it will thicken once in the fridge but you can always thin it out with a little water if you need to. I hope you try it!

Splash of Sherri

Tag: appetizer

Avocado Deviled Eggs for the Win!

Amazing 1 – 2 – 3 Hummus!