Name: Dish N Dashs Maza For Two Recipe
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cups hummus (store-bought or homemade); 1 cups tzatziki; 1 cups baba ghanoush; 1 cups tabbouleh; 6 to taste dolmas (stuffed grape leaves); 0.25 cups feta cheese, crumbled; 8 to taste kalamata olives, pitted; 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil; 1 to taste lemon wedge; 1 tbs fresh parsley, minced (garnish); 0.5 tsp smoked paprika; 2 tbs toasted pine nuts; 2 pieces warm pita bread, cut into wedges; 0.5 cups cucumber slices; 0.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Method

Maza Sampler

Prepare components (if making any from scratch)

If you are using store-bought spreads, skip to Assemble. To make quick homemade hummus: combine 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 2 tbs tahini, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 2 tbs olive oil and 2–4 tbs reserved chickpea water in a blender; blend until smooth and season to taste with salt. For quick tzatziki: grate and squeeze 1/2 small cucumber, mix with 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs chopped dill or mint, salt to taste. For baba ghanoush: roast or char one medium eggplant over flame or in a 425°F/220°C oven until collapsed and smoky (25–30 minutes), scoop flesh, let cool, then blend with 1 tbs tahini, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs olive oil and salt.

Toast pine nuts

Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden, about 2–3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Warm pita

Warm pita wedges in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes or wrap in foil and heat briefly in a skillet until pliable and slightly crisp at the edges. Keep covered to stay warm.

Assemble spreads

On a medium platter or two small plates, spoon 1 cup hummus, 1 cup tzatziki and 1 cup baba ghanoush into three separate shallow wells or small bowls, leaving space between them. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over the hummus and sprinkle the smoked paprika across the center of the hummus. Scatter half the toasted pine nuts over the baba ghanoush and a small pinch of chopped parsley. Sprinkle crumbled feta over the tzatziki or place it in a small mound beside it.

Arrange cold mezze

Place 1 cup tabbouleh in a small bowl or on the platter. Neatly arrange 6 dolmas, 8 kalamata olives, 1/2 cup cucumber slices and 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes around the spreads. Drizzle the tabbouleh lightly with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and squeeze the lemon wedge over the cucumbers and tomatoes to brighten the flavors.

Final garnish and serve

Sprinkle remaining toasted pine nuts and 1 tablespoon minced parsley across the platter. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil as small drizzles over any spreads that look dry. Serve immediately with 2 warm pita wedges and extra lemon on the side. Each person can sample and share the spreads and small bites.