We’ve Got You Covered With A Christmas Appetizer Recipe That Truly Hits All The Right Notes – And Never Disappoints! It’s Quick And Easy (Sanity-Saving!), Absolutely Delicious, Guilt-Free (Hello, Skinny Jeans On January 1st), And Drop-Dead Gorgeous! Gleefully Dig In, People!
Are you ready to deck your platters with wreaths of hummus? We adapted a crazy-popular idea of adding a wreath-shaped Christmas Salad to buffet for creating a Christmas appetizer instead! Still so easy (we promise!), and pretty enough that you almost don’t want to eat it (Almost.) It’s seriously gorgeous enough to do double-duty as an edible centrepiece.
But wait. “gorgeous centrepiece” and “so easy” don’t usually go together in the same sentence, do they? Well, just this time, they do! So, here’s to no guilt, no holiday remorse on January 1st – you’re seriously winning here!
Hummus Wreath
INGREDIENTS
• 1 (17-ounce) container of plain hummus
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat, crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (from about 2 onions)
• 3/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
• 1/16 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 1/2 halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 large red pepper (optional)
• 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons very finely crumbled, reduced-fat feta cheese
• Optional dippers for serving: whole-grain pita chips, wedges of whole-wheat pita bread, or red and green veggies
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a medium-sized bowl – combine hummus, 1/2 cup feta, and green onions.
2. Place a round platter (about 12.5 inches in diameter). Place a bowl at the centre of the finished wreath, you’ll want to use that bowl, to be sure the hole in the middle of the wreath is the right size. Use a rubber scraper to spread the hummus mixture in a circle all around the bowl you’ve placed at the centre. Spread your hummus dip mixture in an even layer (about 9 1/2 inches across). Remove the bowl from the centre using a gentle, upward twisting motion. If needed, you can carefully insert the tip of a toothpick under the edge of the bowl/glass to help it release.
3. In another small bowl, toss parsley, oil, and salt until the parsley is thoroughly coated and the oil and salt are evenly distributed. Spoon parsley mixture in a circle on top of the hummus layer, leaving a small border of hummus showing all around.
4. Place halved cherry tomatoes, cut-side down, randomly throughout the parsley layer, so they look like Christmas ornaments.
5. To make the bow out of red pepper, cut one broad, flat side off the pepper, and gently but firmly press a metal, bow-shaped cookie cutter through the pepper slice to cut out your bow. Place the bow on your wreath.
6. Sprinkle entire wreath lightly with a dusting of 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons very finely crumbled feta, to look like snow. You can adjust the exact amount of feta, depending on the diameter of your wreath – without using so much feta that it hides the other ingredients.
7. Serve immediately with dippers of your choice, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1-2 days. And voila! A wreath! You’re done already!
