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9/26/16

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Sandwich With New Sabra Spreads

Back in August Sabra invited me to come back to Richmond for the hummus factory tour, to check out their renovated kitchen, meet some of the other SabraTastemakers and learn about the newest product in their line up.

Spreads! 

Yes, now you can squeeze out hummus directly onto your sandwiches. I'm not saying I'll forego mayonnaise forever, but these Sabra Spreads are a great alternative. First, they come in 3 fun flavors. My favorite is Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper. The other two flavors are Garlic Herb, which is great in egg salad or tuna sandwiches, and Honey Mustard, which reminds me of my days of working at KFC when I was in High School.

Not only are these spreads vegan, kosher, gluten free and non-dairy, but they also have zero cholesterol and contain 75% less fat than mayonnaise. If you are watching your weight, or if you simply like delicious food, you'll love these.

To feature my favorite Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Sabra Spread, I made a Vegetarian Sandwich. I hope you will check out Sabra's new spreads and create your own sandwiches with them!

Disclosure: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own. Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!


Vegetarian Sandwich With New Sabra Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Spread
Ingredients for 1 sandwich
2 wholewheat slices of bread, toasted
1-2 tablespoons Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Sabra Spread
1/2 roasted pepper, sliced
1 layer pickled fennel
1 layer pickled red onion
2 slices Muenster cheese
2 slices lettuce

Directions
1. Build your sandwich. Slice in half. Eat.


If you are looking for these spreads in your store, you'll find them in the deli section. Of course you can also squeeze out the hummus based spreads for dipping your vegetables or chips!


Learn more at Sabra and go make a sandwich!

8/1/16

Two Watermelon & Tomato Salads With Seasons: What To Eat When It's Too Hot Out

Today I present to you not one, but TWO, big ass salads** that are not only gorgeous, delicious and quick to make, but are also satisfying when served as lunch or dinner. Both salads feature watermelon, tomatoes and seafood.

** big ass salads is something I lovingly call my creations that are heavy on produce with a few fun additions that don't leave you hungry for quite some time

Watermelon is in season. Tomatoes are in season. Why not put them together?

The first salad was a special at a Richmond based restaurant called Pasture I visited last week thanks to Sabra. Once our waitress told us about the special of the day, I knew I'd be getting it. The salad included red and yellow watermelon, thinly sliced radishes, edamame, tomatoes, ricotta and perfectly grilled shrimp with a lemony vinaigrette on a bed of arugula. I'll be honest: I felt pretty smug about my choice! I could eat this daily.


After three days of eating out in Richmond, think Southern fried food and plenty of cocktails, I wanted something lighter for Friday dinner. Clearly, I was still thinking about the salad from Pasture because I created something similar using scallops instead of shrimp and feta instead of ricotta.

Watermelon & Tomato Salad with Seared Scallops

Here's what you do:

1) Dress salad greens with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
2) Top the greens with a mixture of watermelon cubes and halved cherry and grape tomatoes.
3) Scatter feta over the salad.
4) Top the salad with perfectly seared scallops {make sure to dry the scallops before searing them in oil and seasoning them with salt and pepper}.
5) Drizzle the entire creation with a bit of olive oil and top with fresh basil.


Happy Monday!
How would YOU combine tomatoes and watermelon?

6/15/16

Sabra Guacamole Toast With Goat Cheese, Asparagus & Hard Boiled Eggs

What do man buns, avocado toasts and snapchat have in common? Well, they are the latest "it" things.

If you had to guess, which one do you think I support? Yes, only one!

Avocado toasts of course.

I love smashing avocado on toasted sourdough bread and sprinkling it with flaky salt. Sometimes I go a bit fancier and add sriracha or slices of tomato or black sesame seeds.

When Sabra asked me if I'd like to develop a recipe (more an idea) for an avocado toast using one of their new Sabra Veggie Fusions, I wanted to make something that would qualify as a full meal. Try my Guacamole Toast With Goat Cheese, Asparagus & Hard Boiled Eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Disclosure: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own. Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!


When it comes to food, I am not usually a minimalist: I like several toppings on my pizza, Swiss cheese and spicy mayo on my burgers, and something other than just lime and garlic in my guacamole.

Sabra's Veggie Fusions Guacamole comes in 3 flavors: garden vegetable, Southwestern, and mango lime. All flavors have 30 percent less fat than the regular guacamole and are packed with real vegetables such as carrots and peppers that add antioxidants, vitamins and fiber to Hass avocados. Also, if you are vegan, keep a kosher or a gluten-free diet, these are perfect for you!

Quick tip: stir the veggie fusion guacamole after opening the container and before digging in.


Guacamole Toast With Goat Cheese, Asparagus & Hard Boiled Eggs
Makes 2 toasts

Ingredients
2 slices of a baguette, cut on a deep diagonal (or bias), toasted
4 tablespoons Veggie Fusions Garden Vegetable Guacamole
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
4-8 asparagus spears, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, broiled for 5-10 minutes {if your asparagus is rather fat, slice it lengthwise in half before broiling}
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
hot sauce to taste


Directions
1. Spread the guacamole on toasts, top with crumbled goat cheese, broiled asparagus and sliced hard boiled egg and drizzle with hot sauce.


You guys! This turned out better than I expected and not as messy to eat as I thought. The flavors went so well together, as did the textures!

If you wanted to experiment, try using a poached egg and maybe adding some bacon!


For more information on Sabra's latest product, check out Veggie Fusions and download your $1 coupon!


What's YOUR favorite way to make an avocado toast?

5/13/16

Unofficial Meal: Beet & Sabra Hummus Deviled Eggs, Happy National Hummus Day!

I'm trying my best to ignore that today is Friday the 13th and instead concentrate on National Hummus Day! In fact, for breakfast I had toast with hummus, sliced tomatoes, fennel tops, red onion and salt. SO good!

Of course if you've followed my blog for a while, you know I have a great partnership with Sabra. Today I'm bringing to you a bright, easy and delicious recipe you can have for a snack (aka Unofficial Meal), as an appetizer or even for breakfast (yes, I did that!).

Take hard boiled eggs, add a roasted beet, classic hummus and a few toppings, and you get one gorgeous dish!


Beet & Sabra Hummus Deviled Eggs
Makes 24 halves

Ingredients
dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled, halved, yolks carefully removed with a spoon
1 roasted beet, peeled, quartered
1/2 cup Sabra classic hummus
salt to taste
1/3 cup crumbled feta
3 tablespoons dill

Directions
1. Puree egg yolks, roasted beet and hummus in a food processor till smooth. Season with salt.
2. Put the pureed mixture into a plastic bag, cut off a tiny corner and fill the egg halves.
3. Top the deviled eggs with feta and dill.

Here's a little video for you!

A video posted by @mangotomato on


How gorgeous are these eggs? Trust me, they taste just as great.


If you would like to make this recipe, make sure to grab a $2 coupon to use on your container of Sabra. The coupon is good until the end of today, so hurry up!


I had a few of these eggs for breakfast with a toasted English muffin and coffee. Bonus points if you have a peony in the exact same color as the eggs :P


Disclosure: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own. Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!

4/18/16

Sabra's Lemon Twist Hummus With Roasted Fennel & Hazelnuts

Do you ever get home to make dinner and are so ravenous you are almost shaking? That happens to me often, and so I make a quick snack to eat while I'm making dinner. 

Some times it's a piece of cheese, or salsa with chips, or avocado that I eat straight out of its skin. Other times I eat hummus directly from the container with a spoon. For something a bit more fancy, you can make my Sabra's Lemon Twist Hummus With Roasted Fennel & Hazelnuts! This is a sponsored post in my continuing collaboration with Sabra and their new campaign for #UnofficialMeal to drive awareness to using hummus as an in between meals snack. All opinions are my own. 

If you are not a fan of fennel, which was me a few years back, substitute any other roasted vegetable.


Sabra's Lemon Twist Hummus With Roasted Fennel & Hazelnuts
Ingredients
1 fennel bulb, outer layer removed, quartered, cored, and diced
drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper
1 container Lemon Twist Hummus
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
pinch red pepper flakes
fennel fronds for garnish
crackers to serve


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Drizzle the diced fennel with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the fennel in a single layer on a large cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, shaking the cookie sheet a few times during the process.
3. Spoon the hummus into a shallow platter. Top with the roasted fennel, toasted hazelnuts and red pepper flakes. Garnish with fennel fronds.
4. Serve with crackers.



I'm slightly obsessed with how good this appetizer/snack looks. It is so easy to make and will be great for picnics, friends coming over, or a solo in-between unofficial meal.

Go make a batch and enjoy!


Disclosure: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own. Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!

1/6/16

Creamy Tuna Cucumber Boats With Guacamole



I'm so happy to let you know that I'll be once again working with Sabra this year to create easy and delicious recipes using their products. This post is sponsored, but all opinions are my own.

A few weeks ago I received a delivery of 3 products from Sabra: classic hummus, classic guacamole and Farmer's Ranch Greek Yogurt Dip. It took me a few days to figure out what to make, and I think my Creamy Tuna Cucumber Boats With Guacamole were quiet a success!

I love tuna salad and typically make it with mayonnaise, white onion, olives, tomatoes and avocado. I also love tuna in sushi rolls with cucumbers and avocado and spicy mayonnaise. Well, I was out of mayonnaise and did not have avocados or sushi rice. What to do!? I used canned tuna and some of Sabra's products to create a healthier, almost carb free, but still delicious dish.




Ingredients

Makes 4 boats

1 5 ounce can solid white tuna, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons Farmer's Ranch
salt to taste
1 large English cucumber
1/4 cup guacamole
1 tablespoon sriracha (more or less to taste)
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds


Directions
1. Mix together tuna and Farmer's Ranch. Season with salt to taste.
2. Cut off the ends of an English cucumber and cut it in half and then in half again lengthwise to make 4 pieces. Scoop out the seeds of each quarter with a spoon. For more stability, trim the bottom of each "boat."
3. Divide the tuna mixture among each cucumber boat and top with dollops of guacamole and sriracha and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.


These make for a light lunch or an appetizer. You can also make them in cucumber or puff pastry cups for individual servings.

If you are looking to try some of the Sabra products and save money, definitely participate in their Buy, Snap, Score promotion before February 15th!


Disclosure: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own. Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!

10/21/15

Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash & Mediterranean Herb Greek Yogurt Dip Recipe

 

Guess what!? I finally have a recipe for you today! How exciting is this? Have you missed me?

It's fall. The weather is cooler. You may be staying in more. How about a snack? My Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash & Mediterranean Herb Greek Yogurt Dip is going to become a staple of your snack menu repertoire.

This recipe started with a surprise shipment from my friends at Sabra. Luckily, the shipment arrived the day I arrived from Amsterdam! Other than several varieties of hummus and individual packages of guacamole, I received samples of Sabra's Greek Yogurt Dip!

I decided to use the Mediterranean Herb Greek Yogurt Dip to make a fall appetizer. The dip is made from all natural ingredients and contains fresh zucchini, carrots, onions and basil. There are no scary things in the container!



Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash & Mediterranean Herb Greek Yogurt Dip

Ingredients

1 cup roasted butternut squash {my twin Anna taught me a new technique: roast the butternut squash whole at 425 for about an hour, allow to cool slightly, then remove the skins and seeds}
2 tablespoons Mediterranean Herb Greek Yogurt Dip
1 teaspoon peri peri spice mix or more to taste {if you can't find this at your store, use chili powder and/or red pepper flakes to taste}
salt & pepper to taste
chili oil
1-2 tablespoons salted & toasted pumpkin seeds
chips for eating




Directions
1. In a bowl, mash the roasted butternut squash.
2. Add the yogurt dip, peri peri spice and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
3. Spoon the dip into a bowl and drizzle with chili oil and top with the pumpkin seeds.
4. Serve with chips.


How good does this look? Depending on the consistency you want, you may want to puree the butternut squash before adding the rest of the ingredients, but I liked this dip chunky. The creamy yogurt dip balances the heat of the peri peri and the chili oil. Also, this dip keeps well for several days in the refrigerator.


If you want to try one of the Sabra dips, use the $2 off coupon!


 
Disclosure: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own. Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!

7/20/15

Spicy Sweet Potato & Black Bean Sliders With Sabra's Jalapeno Hummus


Guess who got to develop another recipe for Sabra!? ME!!! I'm really excited about what I created this past weekend and hope you'll make it soon. How about today? These Spicy Sweet Potato & Black Bean Sliders With Sabra's Jalapeno Hummus are perfect for Meatless Monday!

Disclosure: Sabra compensated me for my time and skills (ha!) and provided samples of their product. All opinions are my own.

The great thing about using jalapeno hummus is that it adds all the necessary spices to the sliders. Also, you can use as little or as much of the jalapeno "topping" to get the desired heat level. Finally, because I used hummus as the binder instead of eggs, I was able to taste the mixture before cooking it to decide if I did want to add salt or pepper.

Spicy Sweet Potato & Black Bean Sliders With Sabra's Jalapeno Hummus
Makes 8 sliders or can be turned into 3-4 patties

Ingredients
1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled, cubed, cooked in olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper until tender
1/2 cup black beans (I cooked my own)
3 tablespoons jalapeno hummus, more for the rolls
2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar
1 tablespoons chopped chives
8 mini yeast rolls, halved, toasted
1 avocado
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1-2 teaspoons lime juice
8 tomato slices



Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a bowl, lightly mash sweet potato cubes and black beans. Add hummus, cheese and chives, and mix to combine. Taste and add salt if needed.
3. Make 8 patties.
4. Spray a cookie sheet with oil and bake the patties for 10 minutes on each side. BE CAREFUL when flipping the patties because they are pretty delicate: you don't want them to break.
5. Spread a bit of hummus on the bottom of each roll and top with a patty.
6. Mash together avocado, Greek yogurt and lime juice. Season with salt. Top each patty with the avocado crema and a slice of tomato. Finally, add the top part of the roll.




How cute are these!? They are a perfect little appetizer or can be a full meal in themselves.


If you have a few of these patties left over, heat them the next day and serve with a fried egg for breakfast! Make sure to check out other recipes I developed using Sabra products!

6/29/15

Lettuce Bundles With Vegetables And Sabra Hummus


Happy Monday! It's a short week and I cannot wait till the long weekend off for 4th of July! I'll be traveling and discovering a new to me city full of food, culture and fun.

Today, however, I want to share with you a quick idea that is awesome as a snack, appetizer or a meal in itself. This post is a continuation of my working relationship with Sabra. Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own.
Here's how this idea came about:
1) I had a variety of Sabra hummus containers in my refrigerator
2) I had a bunch of produce that needed to be used
3) I wanted a light lunch that packed a lot of flavor, color and texture and would not take more than a few minutes to put together

Lettuce Bundles With Vegetables And Sabra Hummus

Ingredients
Spinach & artichoke hummus
lettuce leaves (I wish I'd used something hardy like Romaine or even endives!)
charred corn, kernels removed
cucumber, peeled and cut into strips
red pepper cut into strips
avocado, sliced
cilantro
fresh lime juice
olive oil
salt
optional: chives
 
 
How to char corn if you don't have an outdoor grill? Put it directly on the gas flame of your stove!
 

Directions
1. Spread hummus on the lettuce leaves. Pile on all the vegetables. Drizzle with lime juice and season with salt.
2. If you want, use the chives to tie these bundles together. Consume immediately.
 

Look at all the colors! It's like you are eating a rainbow ;)


5/21/15

Get Ready For Hummus Day: Yellow Squash Roll Ups With Sabra Chipotle Hummus, Tabbouleh & 2 Sauces


There's a National Day for everything from pancakes to cookies to tacos. I usually roll my eyes at such a thing and move along, but when my friends from Sabra asked me to develop a recipe for National Hummus Day that happens to be today, May 21st, I said yes. After all, I've formed a great relationship with this hummus brand (which includes awesome people like Ilya and Stephanie) over the last several years and they did send me a few** samples. {** a zillion!}

Make sure to check out Sabra website TODAY for a coupon!

Disclaimer: Sabra provided samples and compensation for the recipe development, but all opinions are my own.


Once I received this assignment and a zillion samples, I started thinking about what I can make. I've seen ideas for hummus dressing, hummus deviled eggs, using hummus on pizzas and in sandwiches and even mixing it into pasta: all great ideas!

I thought about adding hummus into lamb meatballs or maybe using it to thicken a vegetable soup, but then was inspired by Lebanese lunch my friend brought me:


What a feast! I used leftover tabbouleh and tzaziki and combined these two ingredients with yellow squash and chipotle hummus to make roll ups!

I used hummus in two components of the dish: roll ups and spicy tomato sauce!

Yellow Squash Roll Ups With Sabra Chipotle Hummus, Tabbouleh & 2 Sauces
Makes 5 roll ups

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
large yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into 3/8-1/4" pieces
salt
Chipotle hummus (you'll want about 5 tablespoons)
1 cup tabbouleh, drained (you want to drain tabbouleh in a fine sieve so that it doesn't add too much moisture into the roll ups)
1/2 14 ounce-can drained chopped tomatoes
the middle of the Chipotle hummus (See the photograph below for this to make sense! Don't worry if you get some of the hummus when scooping out the chipotle part)
tzaziki
fresh basil


Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté yellow squash slices seasoned with salt for 5-7 minutes on each side and then lightly pat them with paper towel to remove excess moisture.


2. Spread each slice with chipotle hummus and top with a thin layer of tabbouleh. Roll up! Use a toothpick to secure the rolls, but PLEASE make sure to remove the toothpicks before eating.


3. Puree the chipotle "middle" from the Chipotle Hummus with tomatoes to make the first sauce and use tzaziki as the second sauce.
4. Top the roll ups with fresh basil before serving.


I really liked how this dish turned out: it was spicy and fresh and full of color. The tzaziki was definitely the key in cooling me down ;)


Happy National Hummus Day!