Grilled Veggie Plate with Hummus

On a recent dinner date in Baton Rouge, my dining companion and I had come to a cross-roads–he, the Canes-eating, fried food LSU football fan wanted something “tasty,” and I, the all-too-running-obsessed-weight-lifting fanatic I’ve become this summer wanted, well, something healthy.  

I would like to introduce you to Zea’s Restaurant and Grill.  Zea’s is this really cool eatery(although a chain) that specializes in rotisserie chicken and brews its own beer.  I don’t eat out often, but I must say I was over the moon that I could order something lean, grilled, and vegetarian while everyone else was carnivorously wolfing down chicken in front of me.

My date got the pasta dish covered in white sauce and shrimp and I ordered this gorgeous grilled vegetables plate with hummus so I could not feel guilty when running in my new kicks.

Serving hummus with vegetables is nothing terribly new, but serving hummus with grilled vegetables? Now that’s a culinary revelation.

Something about the warm, seasoned summer veggies just lives for a couple of tablespoons of freshly prepared hummus.  Together, grilled veggies and hummus put pita bread to shame with their silky smooth perfection.  There’s no guilt in this meal, just beautiful summer vegetables that would make your mamma proud you were eating your greens.

Try my take on a new restaurant favorite by combining Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus with a combination of grilled veggies that are as tasty as they are healthy.

Grilled Veggie Plate with Hummus

This recipe adapts my favorite variation of sweet and sunny Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus.  The difference? Try dipping warm roasted vegetables into the hummus instead of traditional pita bread for a new take on an old favorite.

Ingredients:

*1 Serving Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

*1 Portobello Mushroom Cap

*1 Zucchini, cut into long 1/2-inch thick slices

*1 tablespoon olive oil

*Salt and Pepper, to taste

1.) Wash Portobello mushroom cap and de-stem.  Rub down with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on grill and grill until cap is dark brown and has rendered its juices.  I used a Foreman Grill for this step (easy, fast), but the results are even better over an open flame on an outdoor grill.

2.) Meanwhile, slice zucchini into long 1/2-inch thick slices.  Rub with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until zucchini has become soft and juicy to the touch, but still retains some of its raw firmness.

3.) Plate grilled zucchini and mushroom with a serving of Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus.  Top Hummus with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and parsley.  Dash plate with salt and pepper and enjoy! Makes 2 servings.

–Helana Brigman

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