Go Mediterranean!

Tonight Randy took me out for our anniversary (which was yesterday). We went to one of my very favorite restaurants downtown called Mediterranean Tea Room. We ordered baba ghanoush for an appetizer, served with warm grilled pita bread. For my main dish I had falafel with falaheen salad and hummus. Delicious! I think MTR is one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in town. I do love Elie's over in St. Andrews too though... I'd really have to eat them both together to say which one I like most!

Randy had a greek salad with chicken, and it did look yummy too.

The only thing that always bothers me is that the "parsley" or whatever they use, just doesn't taste like the parsley they used when I lived in Cyprus. I don't know exactly what the difference is, I mean it's been about 15 years since I've had it and was in Cyprus but even that long ago I still remember that I could never find the right parsley (maybe called Greek Parsley??) here in the restaurants. There was just a really special flavor, very fresh and green, that was in the salads we had over there. Also, I've found that here in America restaurants tend to put TONS of wheat bulgur on their tabbouleh salad and in Cyprus, the bulgur was not as much at all. It was really just sprinkled on at the end, but if you get the salad here it's like half the salad or more! Yuck! I try to stay away from eating much wheat and I definitely don't eat whole wheat (I was told that whole wheat can make fibromyalgia worse and I've experienced that it does first hand).

Here's a hummus recipe I found online that looks pretty basic:

HUMMUS

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
* 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
* 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.
Variations
For a spicier hummus, add a sliced red chile or a dash of cayenne pepper.
Storing Hummus
Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Add a little olive oil if it appears to be too dry.