Hummus Veggie Cups, Pesto Pita Pizzas & New York

From time to time I have the opportunity to share my recipes with people in person. A little over a week ago, I traveled to New York City with my friends from Sabra and Toufayan Bakeries to do a live demo at the New York Kids’ Food Festival.

I’m lucky to have been invited back a second year. The only downside of an outdoor event in the middle of Bryant Park in New York City in February is the cold. At a whopping 26 degrees Fahrenheit, outdoor cooking isn’t easy. Fine motor skills were the first to go.

I’m glad I thought of making a hot meal for the food demo. As yo can see from the picture, it was quite a chilly day. I’m not sure if the crowd was smiling because I was cute, funny, or their anticipation of a warm bowl of soup.

The hummus snack cups were instant crowd pleasers. One thing everyone seemed to love about the recipe is that the hummus veggie cups could be made ahead of time. All you have to do is fill a reusable lidded jar with hummus, fresh veggies, and store then in the refrigerator. I make these often with one of the many Sabra hummus varieties, the olive tapanade being my personal favorite.

After everyone got their snack on, I made Pesto Pita Pizzas. I often use pitas in my husband’s office lunches. He loves the little pockets stuffed with tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, or pulled pork.

Pita Pizzas, however, are one of my go-to meals on days when my kids have friends over. The pitas serve as the base for the plethora of toppings that come out of my refrigerator or freezer. At the Kid’s Festival, I simply layered pesto, a little mozzarella, and parmesan cheese on top of the pitas. Using a toaster oven, I toasted the pitas and cut them into strips to make instant pesto cheese sticks!

My goal was to show festival attendees how easy it can be to make food from ingredients that are likely to be in our refrigerators and pantries. Soup leftovers can be heated up and sent to school (or the office) in a thermos along with a few crispy pesto pizza wedges. And if you don’t have a jar of pesto on hand, I’ll show you how to make your own broccoli pesto sauce here.

As you can see, the Tomato & Tortellini Soup was a hit! You can watch how the recipe is made here. It’s simple, delicious, and very filling.

When I was handing out samples, I learned that there are a lot of kids that love eating hummus. Many parents were surprised at the versatility and how it helped their kids eat more veggies. In the end, if it helps our kids eat more veggies, it’s something I am happy to support.

A huge thank you goes out to my friends at Sabra and Toufayan for supporting my work. Without their support, attending events like this one would not always be possible.