Back From The UAE

I just spent two weeks in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with my family and had a wonderful time.  Saw great sights, met great people and ate great food.  Very cool for such a hot country!

It was so easy to eat in the UAE.  It is the meeting place of so many cultures.  Lebanese, Indian, Japanese, Thai... so much to choose from.  And all so GOOD!

As staples I ate a lot of hummus, Arabic bread (pita), dates, almonds, tabbouleh, fattoush, pakoras and samosas.  I also drank a ton of water.

I couldn't imagine eating any differently now that I'm back so I've been making something from my trip each night.

The first night back... hummus of course!

Hummus

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Place garlic, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini and salt in a food processor and blend until creamy (add a tablespoon of water if mixture is too dry).

Transfer to a small bowl and pour olive oil on the top to garnish.

Serve with thin whole wheat pita.