A few of my favourite things

I absolutely adore Mediterranean food and it's simplicity. In fact, I am known to eat a lot of hummus, and I mean a lot! There is something so comforting (and tasty!) about olives, olive oil, hummus.. and, oh, did I mention olives and the magic of olive oil, especially a really good one? The cuisine is very condusive to vegan cooking and eating even there are a number of times when dairy is used. But many non-dairy options are available. See for yourself.

Greek meze platter of warm chunky hummus, basil olive tapenade, grilled vegetable skewers and warm pita wedges

The hummus was made from freshly cooked warm chickpeas blended with ground cumin, raw garlic cloves, tahini, sea salt, fresh lemon juice, filtered water, and extra-virgin olive oil. The chunkiness came in when whole cooked chickpeas and toasted sesame seeds were folded in. It was served warm as inspired by this lovely retreat center in Costa Rica called Lands in Love. The basil tapenade was super simple: combining kalamata olives, picholine olives, raw garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and chopped fresh basil in a food processor. No additional salt was needed. Finely diced red bell peppers were folded in for an added texture and colour. And the veggies? Time-consuming but delicious. Red wine vinegar, dried oregano, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil were blended together to marinate the portabella mushrooms, zucchini, and red onions, after which were assembled and grilled. And warm, soft pita bread brushed with olive oil? You catch the drift? :)