Loaded Hummus
Another day of home projects in the books - just me and my man laying floor. Real life that is what we did today - laid hardwood laminate floor in our second story. Our home has a one room second story addition that the previous owner literally did nothing with, so our contractor finished up the dry wall and we tackled our first experience with laminate flooring. & oh man do I feel accomplished!! Like I feel so good about my ability to lay laminate flooring that I feel as though I could re-do the floor in my entire house, and I should start a side hustle as a female handy-man that only installs laminate flooring (niche market). This was one project that I felt way under-qualified to complete on my own, and to my surprise I was great at it. Jordan is totally the leader when it comes to completing renovation projects. He has volunteered us to do all of our own landscaping, lay tile, replace countertops, and now install flooring, and at the onset of all said projects my internal voice was saying "we should really pay someone to do this." I will say that all of our home projects have turned out quite nicely, and I give all the credit to Jordan, He's quite the craftsman, and I am typically the eager assistant who can go grab necessary supplies and let you know when something is level. I get involved in the project, but I am hesitant to dive right in due to my limited skill level and minor fear of power tools. Oh man but not this time. I can lay laminate flooring anytime, any place!
It was a long 6 hours getting the job done, & we are impressed with ourselves. So happy hour is a must! A nice cold cider and a little snack sounded pretty freaking perfect, and I looooovvvvee a good at home happy hour. & being I have some plain hummus and flatbreads on deck, I am taking the usual mediterranean platter to the next level. No pita chips dipped in hummus over here! Let's be clear that this is a cheater recipe, and I am using pre-made hummus but dolling it up. I am loading it up with kalamatas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and some warm roasted cauliflower to bring you Loaded Hummus. A yummy way to sneak some veggies and freshness into a hummus platter, & make it a tinge bit healthier. Gotta get the veggies in where we can. Also, this roasted cauliflower is something I do all the time at our house, even just as a quick side to pasta or a BBQ, and we make this all time because frankly, cauliflower is just so tasty when its browned and seasoned with your favorite spice blend. I use a cajun seasoning, & mostly resort to the South African Smoke blend from Trader's Joe's. But of course you can use like an onion and herb blend, or just anything you are currently loving. Just don't be shy with the seasoning and the cauliflower will turn out oh so good!
For the Loaded Hummus
1 c. prepared hummus
1/4 c. kalamata olive, pitted and halved
1/4 c. diced cucumbers (cut into bitesize chunks)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp seasoning of your choice (I recommend a creole blend or the Trader Joe's South African Smoke)
3 tbsp EVOO
Salt & pepper
2-3 whole wheat flatbreads, cut into triangles
Preheat your oven to 350. Place a foil lined baking sheet inside of the oven as it preheats. In a large bowl, mix together the cauliflower florets, 2 tbsp EVOO, and a heaping tbsp of your seasoning blend. Stir together so the cauliflower is evenly coated, adding a pinch more seasoning if desired. Lay the cauliflower on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, or until browned.
Prepare the tomatoes as the cauliflower cooks. In a separate bowl, stir together the tomatoes, remaining EVOO, garlic, parsley, and a pinch of both salt and pepper. Let sit in the refrigerator as the cauliflower roasts.
When the cauliflower has finished cooking, turn off the oven and place the flatbreads into the oven to warm, Leave them in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
As the flatbreads toast, immediately start assembling the hummus. Place the prepared hummus in the center of the bowl so that it is dolloped in a small circle. Around half of the bowl, layer your toppings - the tomatoes, kalamatas, cucumbers, & cauliflower - while keeping them kind of divided (see the picture for inspiration). Finish by placing your flatbread triangles around the opposite side. You're ready to chow down.