Happy National Hummus Day! Today is the day to throw a party and to get that party started, Sabra has discount coupons for you. Visit Sabra today (nhd.sabra.com) and grab a coupon before heading to the store! Coupons are only available today, 5/21/15. Don’t miss out on the fun!
Hummus has always been a favorite snack of mine and one of the appetizers at nearly all of my parties because it is so easy to put together and people love it. It is also naturally gluten-free, making it a good choice so that everyone at your gatherings have something they can enjoy. And to make it even better, all Sabra products are gluten-free so you can enjoy their entire line of products safely!!
With Memorial Day Weekend coming up and everyone kicking off the barbecue season, I thought it would be fun to experiment with a different way to utilize hummus. Since I’ve used it as a spread on crostini with toppings, why not take that one step further and put a new spin on aioli for sandwiches. Oh yeah, it’s a winner! 🙂
Aioli is the Provençal sauce made with olive oil, eggs, lemon juice, and garlic. Because we are not trying to get oil to blend with something it doesn’t like (liquids such as vinegar in a dressing), using hummus as the base for your aioli makes it a snap to put together without worrying about emulsification or the sauce breaking. It adds a ton of flavor to your sandwiches and also works as a dip for tortilla chips – double winner!
I love Mexican flavors, especially with grilled foods. To me they seem to go together beautifully. So adding some cilantro, cumin, and oregano plus a little ancho chile powder is a fun way to turn hummus into a Latin treat. Ancho is a mild chile and will add flavor without a lot of heat. Sprinkling a touch of ancho on the chicken as it grills just extends the flavor profile and adds one more layer of goodness. Using smoked paprika adds an extra pop of smokiness that complements any grilled foods without being overwhelming.
Once you’ve assembled the sandwiches, pass additional hummus at the table. I’ll bet your guests will want to add a little more to their sandwiches, and if you are also serving tortilla chips alongside, don’t be surprised if a few sneak their way into the bowl of hummus!
Have a fabulous National Hummus Day, don’t miss grabbing the coupons from Sabra by clicking on nhd.sabra.com and enjoy this delicious, healthy new recipe! And don’t forget to pick up some of Sabra’s salsa and guacamole while you’re at the store. They are a natural addition to a Day in the Fun!
We’ll be back tomorrow to announce another Giveaway in this Month of Prizes here at The Heritage Cook. It is so much fun to announce all these winners! 🙂
Jane’s Tips and Hints:
If you have a ton of people hanging around while you are grilling, chatting with you and distracting you from the task at hand, you can get good grill marks on the chicken and cook them most of the way through outside, then transfer them to a baking sheet and finish them in the oven. They will be perfectly cooked in no time and you won’t have to worry about charring them on the grill.
Gluten-Free Tips:
All of Sabra’s products are gluten-free and meet broad standards of gluten-free content of <20 ppm. I love being able to work with brands that I can eat to my heart’s content!
I found Schaar’s take-and-bake baguettes at the grocery store and thought I would give them a try. About 5 minutes in the oven and they were lightly toasted, golden brown and smelled like “real” bread. These are a really good alternative if you are serving someone with gluten sensitivities.
When using the BBQ for both regular and gluten-free, it is safest to designate one grill just for the GF foods. Or I just make all the grilled items gluten-free and then I don’t have to worry about it. Make sure you keep everything separate, including the serving utensils!
- Hummus Aioli:
- 10 oz Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- 1 tbsp finely minced fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not onion salt!)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder or chili powder*, optional
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, optional
- 1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp finely minced green onions
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Grilled Chicken:
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- Organic olive oil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp ground ancho chile powder
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sandwiches:
- 6 (6 to 8 inch) Sweet French, Sourdough rolls, Hoagies, or gluten-free rolls
- Mexican Hummus
- Grilled chicken breasts
- Fresh lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
- Sliced tomatoes (if in season)
- Prepare the Hummus Aioli: The morning of the day you want to serve these sandwiches, scoop the hummus into a mixing bowl. Stir in the cilantro, lime juice, oregano, onion powder, cumin, ancho powder, paprika, and olive oil, whisking until smooth. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed and adjust seasonings to suit your personal tastes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 7 days, covered, in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The resting time gives the flavors a chance to blend. Return to room temperature before assembling sandwiches.
- Grill the Chicken: Set up a 2-tier medium-high heat fire in your charcoal or gas grill. For charcoal this means banking about 2/3 of the coals on one half of your grill and spreading the rest out over the other half creating hotter and cooler zones. For a gas grill this means heating all the burners over High for about 15 minutes (with the lid closed), then turning half of them down to Low. If you have multiple burners, set the outer ones on medium and turn the center ones down to Low.
- Trim off the chicken tender if still attached. (You can use them for a different recipe or grill quickly alongside the breasts and serve to your kids.) Brush both sides of the chicken pieces lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings. Don’t use too much oil or you may get flare ups when it hits the hot grill.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts over the hotter side of the grill and cook until they release easily and have grill marks. Flip to the other side and place on the cooler part of the grill to finish cooking more gently. This gives you greater control and fewer chances of overcooking. The chicken is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the thickest portion registers 158°F to 160°F.
- Remove from the heat as each one finishes cooking. Place on a baking sheet, loosely tent with foil and set aside to rest. This helps finish cooking all the way to the center and redistributes the juices.
- Assemble the Sandwiches and Serve: Split the rolls and place cut side down on the hot grill. Cook just until grill marks are beginning to appear, moving the rolls on and off the hotter part of the grill as needed. Transfer to a platter.
- Place a cooked chicken breast on a clean cutting board. Lay your palm on top and holding a very sharp knife parallel to the work surface, slice the chicken in half creating two thinner pieces. Having thinner pieces of chicken makes a sandwich easier to eat and stretches your budget. Spread a little of the hummus on both cut sides of the roll, add one slice of chicken, top with lettuce and tomatoes. Place the top of the bun on the sandwich, cut in half, and serve immediately.
- * Bottled chili powder is a mixture of ingredients that can include several different types of chile powders, seasonings, and preservatives. They are perfectly fine to use, but I prefer to use individual chile powders (such as ancho) to add specific flavors and heat levels to my foods. If you are gluten-free, always check the labels carefully on any prepared blends.
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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received compensation for recipe development and writing this post.
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Thank You!
sarah k @ the pajama chef
hummus aioli? what a great idea!
Jane Bonacci
Thanks Sarah, it was so easy and delicious! 🙂