Now that Frittata is back in the kitchen AND working at Whole Foods, I’ve decided to start a post series where I showcase the insane variety of interesting food products that I discover during my day job and test out at night. Welcome to Frittata Test Kitchen! First featured product – Majestic Sprouted Hummus.
On average, I’d say that most of the grocery orders I “pick” on a daily basis at Whole Foods are around 50-60 items. That means over the course of an 8-hour shift, I get to search out hundreds of different products. I’m having a blast discovering new things to try.
Three Times Is A Charm
My new rule is this: If I’ve picked it 3 or more times, buy it and try it. Let’s get started!
Majestic Sprouted Hummus
Whole Foods has a wide selection of hummus products. I have traditionally been a fan of a common brand of hummus available in most grocery stores, but there has been more than one time this brand got pulled off the shelves for quality issues.
As I shared previously, Whole Foods does not sell products with certain ingredients or lack of quality standards. That’s the great thing about shopping there, you don’t have to think much about what you’re buying. If it’s on the shelf, it’s high quality.
Whole Foods does not sell my go-to brand, so I’m assuming there is good reason for it. Had to make a switch.
Follow the Leader
Majestic Sprouted Hummus was the first item that fit the “3 times is a charm” rule, so I bought it.
OMG. This is hands-down the best hummus I’ve ever had. There is something about the texture – it’s creamy but not pureed like other popular brands I’ve tried. It feels almost whipped. And the flavor was perfect. Not too garlicky, just enough. (I ended up reading further about this product on their website to see how it’s described and was thrilled to see that it IS whipped and that the secret ingredient is a touch of cumin).
Click the image above to visit their site and see if it’s available near you.
Ideas For Using Majestic Sprouted Hummus
Other than the obvious which is to use hummus as a dip for veggies or crackers, my go-to use is on pesto, hummus, and cheese sandwiches. I’ve traditionally used roasted red pepper hummus for this sandwich.
I was so in love with Majestic Sprouted Hummus that I made this sandwich for lunch, and then decided to find a way to have it for dinner too. I surveyed what was in the fridge and came up with this Roasted Veggies and Fennel Slaw with Hummus recipe which just became my new addiction. The recipe is at the bottom of this post or you can click the image below to jump to it now.
It may sound fancy, but this was a super-easy vegetarian weeknight meal. I roasted cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and lemon slices and put those on top of a big dollop of hummus. Topped it with lemony fennel slaw and some hemp seeds for crunch, and a huge handful of fresh herbs for freshness.
Don’t be put off by the addition of roasted lemon slices. I started putting seared lemons on pretty much everything once I discovered the concept. It gives a savory meal such a burst of unexpected flavor. Just make sure you try to cut the lemon as thin as possible.
Herbalicious
Do you have an herb garden at home? Do you love it but find that you never seem to use anywhere near all of the herbs you are growing? This recipe is your answer.
I’ve made this recipe several times now with various combinations of parsley, dill, cilantro, tarragon, and mint. It doesn’t really matter which you choose, just be bold and put a healthy handful on top. Trust me. Plus your herb plants will flourish if you snip from them regularly.
Salmon Loves Hummus
I seared a piece of salmon and put that on the side when I made this again last night, and it was much better than using leftover rotisserie chicken (which I did on a previous trial). Salmon loves hummus.
Hummus – The New Mayonnaise
I was dreaming up other ways to get more Majestic Hummus in my life and decided to try making chicken salad with it. I know there are a lot of people out there who loath mayonnaise so you never get to enjoy the comfort of a chicken or tuna salad sandwich.
In the past, I’ve tried subbing in plain yogurt for mayonnaise in my sandwich salads, but it isn’t quite the same. I usually end up going half-half mayo and yogurt to get a creamy enough result. Until now…
I decided to try using my Majestic Hummus instead of mayonnaise. It worked better than I expected. Read on for the recipe.
Taking Shortcuts
I don’t know about you, but I have a really hard time resisting fresh rotisserie chicken when I see it (more like when I smell it) in the store. Problem is, that’s a lot of chicken for one person. My strategy is to bring it home and completely break it down while it’s still warm. I usually eat the legs/thighs right away and then save the breast for making chicken salad.
Here’s the other problem – rotisserie breast is ALWAYS overcooked by the time the dark meat is safe to serve. So the chicken salad requires a lot of mayonnaise to be edible. Today I tried using this:
I worked a shift yesterday and for some reason, this was a popular item (it was probably on sale and I wasn’t paying attention). I bought some after work. It comes in bite-sized pieces, most likely so it can easily be used as a salad topper. I found it to be very moist.
It took about 2 minutes to shred the whole package with a fork which netted me 2 cups of chicken. I mixed up 1/2 cup of Majestic Hummus and 1/2 a single-serving container of plain yogurt (that’s about a 1/4 cup of yogurt -I’m still testing yogurt brands and haven’t landed on a winner yet but stay tuned). Add chicken and mix. Season with salt and pepper and put it in the fridge to set.
I’m not sure the yogurt was even necessary. I found myself wishing the hummus flavor was more pronounced so next time I’m sticking to 100% hummus.
I fell in love with pita bread sandwiches sometime in the 80s when they got popular. It seems like they’ve been replaced with wraps and flatbread, but to me there’s nothing like a pita pocket for a salad sandwich. I threw in sliced cucumber and a huge handful of alfalfa sprouts plus a slice of heirloom tomato.
I used vegan pita bread only because that was the only pita I could find. It was really good and I would definitely buy it again. I bought the “mini” size but they were as big as a typical sandwich pita (bigger than I needed).
Secret Sauce
Another idea for ways to use your favorite hummus is as a pasta sauce. When I first came across this idea, I was like, “now why didn’t I think of that!”. I played around with this recipe a few nights in a row and decided the best version was the simplest. Roasted Lemon and Broccolini Hummus Pasta was delicious both hot and cold so make a big portion and save the leftovers for lunch the next day! Full recipe below.
I recommend using your favorite flavored hummus vs. original which might be too bland as a pasta sauce.
Equipment
- Food processor, small
Ingredients
- 2 bunches broccolini, cut into bite-sized pieces, stalk discarded
- 8 slices lemon, super-thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 8 oz rotini pasta
- 1/2 container flavored hummus such as cilantro jalapeno
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp goat cheese
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. In a small baking dish, toss the broccolini and lemon slices iwth some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Once oven comes to temp, roast for about 18 minutes until tender but not soggy. Remove from oven.
- While broccolini and lemons roast,, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and seaon well with salt. Boil pasta to desired doneness based on package directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- While water is boiling, combine 1/2 a package of your favorite flavored hummus in a small food processor with 1/4 cup heavy cream or plant-based milk and 1 tbsp of goat cheese. Process briefly to combine. Toss with hot pasta in the serving bowl, then add broccolini, lemon and red pepper. Toss again. Divide between 2 dinner bowls and sprinkle each with 1 tbsp of hemp hearts if using.
Notes
Nutrition
Bonus: Beans Two Ways
Here’s a bonus idea for you – use your hummus as the condiment of choice for a plant-based burger!
This came about because I had been thinking about another popular product – Alexia Yukon Gold french fries. I decided since I was getting off late that a “burger and fries” was what my spirit wanted for dinner.
I grabbed a package of fries, a pack of brioche hamburger buns and Majestic’s Cilantro Jalapeno hummus. I had a package of bean-based plant burgers in the freezer at home. You’ll have to take my word for it that it was the perfect combo because I couldn’t wait to get it in my mouth and totally forgot to take a picture.
Not a fan of the plant burger? Fine. Why not try hummus instead of ketchup and mustard on your next REAL burger?
Stay tuned for more Frittata Test Kitchen coming soon. Check out the full recipe for Roasted Veggies with Fennel Slaw and Hummus below. You can now share Frittata on Pinterest as well as Facebook and Twitter, share buttons below! Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any posts and remember that comments and requests are always welcome!
Here’s the recipe for Roasted Veggies with Fennel Slaw and Hummus:
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 pkg brussel sprouts, halved or quartered if large
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 large lemon, halved
- 1 cup hummus
- 1 handful fresh herbs, chopped (parsely, dill, thyme, rosemary, cilantro – whatever you have)
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts or other nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil to a large mixing bowl. Toss the cauliflower around to coat, season with salt and pepper. Dump the cauliflower onto one side of a large non-stick baking sheet or roasting pan. Add the 2nd tbsp of olive oil to the mixing bowl. Toss the brussel sprouts to coat, season with salt and pepper and add the red pepper flakes. Toss again and dump onto the other side of the baking sheet/roasting pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender and starting to brown. Don't put that oily bowl in the sink yet…
- Meanwhile, squeeze the juice of half of the large lemon into a small dish. Add the thinly sliced fennel bulb and toss. Season lightly with salt and pepper. If you have the fennel fronds, chop a few pieces of that and add for color. Set aside while veggies are roasting. Cut about 8 super super thin slices from the other half of the lemon being sure to discard seeds, the cut the slices in half so you have about 16 moons. Toss those into the bowl with the oi and stir around to coat. Set aside.
- When the veggies are just a few minutes from being done, add the lemon slices to the roasting pan.
- Once veggies are done, it's time to plate. Spread 1/2 cup of hummus on each plate. Add the roasted veggies and lemon slices, top with the marinated fennel slaw including the lemon juice. Top with a large handful of freshly chopped herbs – I've used various combinations of parsley, dill, cilantro, tarragon and mint and all were delicious. Add hemp hearts or nuts if using. Serve! Note: Need more protein? Add a piece of seared salmon or some rotisserie chicken.
Hello, Jenny! I am enjoying your posts and living, vicariously, thru your new job at Whole Foods! I have considered working part-time at our Central Market for quite a while – how much fun!!. Anyway…after reading your post I was reminded of one of my absolute favorite hummus-like condiments – Muhammara – which features yet another ingredient that you will love – pomegranate molasses. In case you haven’t tried it, here is a link to one of my favorite recipes: http://api.organizeat.com/r/270E6448-1389-4FB2-BD6E-62A57D4DDEC9. Enjoy!
Hi Carmen! I’m so happy that you enjoy the blog. I purchased a jar of pomegranate molasses and then struggled with ways to use it. It did not make the cut for the cross-country road trip pantry, lol. That recipe looks fantastic – I’m going to buy a new jar and make this and will report back!