A Trio of Summer Spreads - Hummus, Tzatziki, Tuna Pâté

Greetings and Happy New Year everyone! I have had a lovely break, albeit a busy one packed with get togethers with family and friends, bits of admin that we did not get to during the year and plenty of feasting. We even managed to end off with a few days away in beautiful Franschhoek - just my little family, which was a perfect way to end off a busy holiday. It almost made up for the administrative portion of the holiday - because nothing screams "holiday fun" more than having to queue for five hours to renew your car licence and another eight hours for passports! Hey ho.

As has become tradition I made mostly edible gifts for everyone at Christmas, (so much more fun than running around an overcrowded mall) and I think we have also started a new tradition going forward. As a child I have very fond memories of making mince pies with my mom and sister during the December school holidays, and this year my daughter and I had not one but two mince pie production mornings which she absolutely loved. These childhood moments really fuelled my passion for home cooking and how special it was to have the same experience with my little girl. I am sure we  will be doing it every year. 

I love this photo - family traditions being passed down.  

I am so excited to get back into the swing of things and look forward to sharing lots of delicious new recipes in 2016. I love me a mezze lunch, and what with the extremely hot weather we are experiencing I decided I would start the year off with something light and summery. (Not to mention easy, for those of us who still have a touch of holiday brain!)

Today I am sharing three favourite recipes that I often make at home, these are my go-to recipes for summer entertaining, picnics or for a quick and delicious lunch. These spreads make the perfect addition to a mezze platter and are absolutely divine teamed up with some toasted pita breads - my best! If you are watching your carbs this year you can also enjoy them with fresh vegetable batons or a salad.

The key here is to make these recipes ahead of time and then let them chill in the fridge for a good few hours before serving. What is great about making them yourself is that you can also tweak the flavour to your liking. Here's to a delicious 2016! 

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A TRIO OF SUMMER SPREADS:

Hummus, Tzatziki and Tuna Pâté

Hummus: (makes approximately 1 cup)

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

50ml olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cumin

1 garlic clove, peeled

pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and whizz together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate before serving. 

Tzatziki: (makes approximately 1 cup)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved and deseeded (about 300g)

fine salt

200g plain or Greek yoghurt

1 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp lemon juice

Step 1.) Grate the cucumber (I prefer a large grate) and place in a colander over a plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and leave to stand for a few minutes to draw the liquid out.

Step 2.) Combine the yoghurt, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. 

Step 3.) Squeeze the grated cucumber and pat dry. Mix into the yoghurt, then cover and refrigerate. 

Tuna Pâté: (makes approximately 1/2 cup)

1 x 170g tin tuna, drained
1 spring onion, sliced
lemon pepper to taste
salt to taste
2 tbsp creamy mayonnaise

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and whizz together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate before serving.