Our 100+-year-old brick house bakes in the summer heat, and there are some evenings when it’s simply too hot to cook. Enter: dinner by assembly!
When our kids were little, my husband and I came up with what we called “Mediterranean Tapas Night.” We just grabbed whatever happened to be in the fridge or pantry (olives, cheese, crackers, fruit, salad greens, etc.), threw it all into a bunch of little bowls and plates, and called it good. It was essentially a grazing board, but with an assortment of bowls and plates instead of a platter. It ended up looking vaguely Greek, hence the name. There was something magical about the title and the presentation that made our kids feel like the meal was a special event. Easiest no-cook dinner ever! Other than the name, the secret to Mediterranean Tapas Night was to anchor the array with at least one dip.
Kids love to dip! And, really, you can make a dip out of practically anything (yogurt, sour cream, or soy sauce, for example). When our kids went through their “picky eater” phases, I could usually persuade them to eat with an assortment of sliced fruit and raw veggies plus at least two dips. The dipping vehicle – whatever it was – was more palatable if they liked the dip. They’d try different combinations and report back (“apples are pretty good with the yogurt dip, but NOT with the soy one.”). Plus, I discovered they had definite preferences for how the foods were cut (cucumber discs were more popular than cucumber spears – go figure!).
Here is our favorite Kid-Created Sweet and Savory Middle Eastern Hummus recipe!
Or try this Holy Moly (Pea!) Guacamole recipe!
Or this yummy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites + Cool Ranch Dip recipe!
Hoping to add some spice to your kids’ summer schedule? Find a Sticky Fingers Cooking summer camp near you!
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