You don’t have to use hummus only with pita triangles. Use it for:
• Deviled eggs, mixed with cooked yolks.
• Salad pizza. Spread it on flatbread and bake, then top with fresh greens tossed with oil and vinegar and crumbled feta.
• Chicken salad or egg salad, to replace or cut down on the mayonnaise.
• A warm dip. Top it with a little butter and pine nuts and bake it.
• Pasta salad dressing. Mix a little with oil and vinegar.
What’s the first lunch lesson of the school year?
Embrace hummus.
Yes, it has a weird name (say it like we’re humming together — “hum us.”) And yes, it is usually made from ground-up chickpeas, which sounds like it should have all the joy of eating library paste.
But stick with me on this: If you think of it as the Middle East’s answer to peanut butter, it can be your best friend when it’s time to pack tasty, healthful lunches, for kids and adults both.