I “catered” for this week’s work happy hour as a very belated birthday gift to my boss. I tried out a new hummus recipe, created a quinoa salad, and made a family favorite cucumber salad. We had a yummy organic California table wine called Our Daily Red from Orleans Hill Winery to go with.

Slim-Style Hummus and Crispy Kale

Makes six 1/4 cup servings

This recipe was super, super simple and very delicious. It was the hit of the happy hour and a truly guilt-free snack! I used two cloves of garlic instead of just one, and added a wee bit more fresh lemon juice.

INGREDIENTS

1 large bunch kale

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tahini

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 2 baking sheets with vegetable oil cooking spray. Trim kale and cut into 2-inch pieces. Spread kale on sheets in a single layer. Mist with oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake 10 minutes.

Step Two: To make dip, combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Source: Slim & Scrumptious, 2010. View the book on Amazon.com.

Cucumber and Dill Salad

Serves 4-5 people

This recipe is a family favorite. It’s been made for years and years and never fails us! I especially like to serve it with Mediterranean style fare. It is the perfect compliment to Spanakopita and Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes!

INGREDIENTS

2 medium cucumbers, peeled in strips and thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon salt

little less than 1/2 cup water

little less than 1/2 cup vinegar (use half cider vinegar and half white wine vinegar)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped

drop Tabasco sauce

fresh ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: In a medium bowl, sprinkle salt on cucumbers and onions. In a small bowl, combine sugar, water, and vinegars. Pour over cucumber and onion mixture. Gently combine. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour.

Step Two: Drain cucumber and onions, reserving a small amount of vinegar mixture.

Step Three: In a small bowl, mix yogurt, dill, Tabasco, and pepper. Add reserved vinegar mixture and blend until smooth. Pour over cucumber and onion mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and chill for at least one hour prior to serving. Serve cold.

Source: A Robot Heart Family Recipe.

Greek-Style Quinoa Salad

Serves 5-6 people

I recently made a salad trio for Sunday Night Dinner that included at Mediterranean Grain Salad (which I embellished a bit from the original recipe). I really loved it and it came to mind for this happy hour. However, one of my co-workers has a gluten intolerance, so bulgur was a no go. I decided to throw together a similar type salad using quinoa. It turned out great!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa, cooked

6 artichoke hearts, quartered and rustically chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 small shallot, minced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2-ounces goat cheese, crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, shallot, olives, and parsley. Gently mix well.

Step Two: In a small bowl, slowly add olive oil to vinegar and combine well. Pour over quinoa, gently mixing well. Add in goat cheese.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

A special thanks to my boss, Carol, for the use of her dishware in the photo shoot!