Sabra Blog

Join us for a Super Bowl Twitter Party!

2012-01-27T15:42:00.008-05:00

Looking for some delicious Super Bowl Party recipes? Have a question to ask Sabra Executive Chef MaryDawn Wright? Then don't miss our Super Bowl Twitter Party on February 2 from 8-9pm EST!

@Sabra will host a party for all their fans on Twitter! You can follow the conversation with hashtag #SabraBowl. We'll discuss entertaining tips, delicious new recipes, and give away a Sabra prize pack to three lucky winners!

Have questions for the Sabra Chef about recipes or your game day table? Leave your questions as comments on this post, and Chef MaryDawn will answer during the party!

We hope to see you there!

News from Sabra - Introducing Season's Finest Hummus

2011-12-02T12:57:00.000-05:00

Sabra Dipping Company, the country’s leading hummus manufacturer, today announced it has released its first ever limited edition hummus for the holiday season. Made with only the finest premium ingredients, the Rosemary, Olive Oil and Sea Salt flavor of Season’s Finest hummus has all the deliciousness of Sabra’s smooth Classic hummus with a special festive touch.

The task of choosing Sabra’s first ever limited edition hummus fell upon the 2011 Sabra Tastemaker panel, a group of influential bloggers, food lovers, and thought leaders who provide feedback to the company. Through a blind taste test, the panel determined that the Rosemary, Olive Oil and Sea Salt hummus was the most delicious and appropriate for the holiday season.

“We’re proud to introduce this special edition hummus just in time for holiday entertaining,” said Ken Kunze, Chief Marketing Officer for Sabra Dipping Company. “We review feedback from our consumers, and are excited about letting our Tastemaker panel represent them and choose this new flavor for the market. The robust and creamy blend is really delicious. ”

Featuring a specially designed metallic foil packaging, Season’s Finest hummus comes table-ready from the grocery store. The hummus’s label features a seasonal design, making it perfect to serve at parties and family gatherings, or as the ideal holiday hostess gift.

Season’s Finest hummus can be found in the 17oz size at grocery stores in the Pacific Northwest, New England and New York metro area, and in the 25 oz size at Sam’s Clubs nationwide through early January. All varieties of Sabra Hummus are gluten free and certified kosher.

For more information about Sabra’s new products, please visit www.sabra.com.

The Benefits of Meal Planning - a guest post from Sabra Tastemaker Diane Carbonell

2011-11-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

I’m so happy that the wonderful people at Sabra asked me to write an article for them, as I love being a Sabra Tastemaker and I love Sabra products.

I wanted to share with you the importance of meal planning in my own journey to lose 158 pounds, as well as share a little bit about how having healthy ingredients on hand can help you get a nutritious meal on the table in just a few minutes.

When I was first married (over 24 years ago) I never planned the first thing for dinner. Almost every night without fail I’d ask John where he was taking me out for dinner. He’d laugh and off we’d go to whatever restaurant struck our fancy. I’d order the biggest thing on the menu and then pick the dessert that best suited my mood at the moment.

After I began having children I did get a little better with meal planning, but there were still many nights when we went out to dinner. My problem during that time of my life was that I wasn’t trying to plan healthy meals. Instead I just planned on cooking whatever sounded good to me, whether it was fried chicken or corn dogs.

As I began losing weight, meal planning took on a whole new importance. Now I was planning meals to avoid going out to eat, to feed myself and my family wholesome food, and lose weight. I wasn’t perfect at getting it all right, but I gradually got better and better.

After I reached my goal weight I didn’t fall back into my old “restaurant most nights of the week” habit. Instead, I continued with my meal planning routines. Why? Because I didn’t want to gain my weight back, and I wanted to continue to feed my family meals they enjoyed and were good for them.

Now 13 years later, I still plan meals and snacks. I plan my meals the night before I go grocery shopping. I make one new meal a week, three vegetarian meals and three family staples. Planning the night before gives me plenty of time to think about what I want to make. I take into account what family activities we have each evening.

I believe in flexibility with meal planning. This is where products like Sabra hummus, low-sodium beans, healthy salsa, tortillas, pre-cooked chicken tenders, frozen stir-fry vegetables or quick-cooking rice come into play. There are times when 4:30 p.m. rolls around and I realize that although I had planned on one dish, I didn’t feel like making it. So I’ll switch to one of my fall back meals.

One of our favorite easy, quick-to-prepare meals is a chicken, brown rice and hummus casserole. I can have it on the table for the nine of us in about 15 minutes. I simply use quick-cooking brown rice, pre-cooked chicken tenders, classic hummus, fresh parsley and water.

The rice takes about six minutes to cook. Once it’s cooked, I dice the chicken and mix it into the brown rice. I stir half a container of hummus and a bit of water into the rice and chicken mixture and stir until the casserole is well-combined.

I serve it with homemade rolls that I made and froze earlier in the week, and a fresh green salad.

Meal planning benefits you and your family whether you are trying to lose some weight or just eat a well-balanced meal. I am never sorry when I sit down at our family table knowing that my family is enjoying a healthy, flavor-filled meal that I prepared.

Diane’s blog, Fit to the Finish, offers encouragement to men and women who are trying to lose weight the healthy way. She is a Sabra Tastemaker and has been featured in Shape magazine. Diane can be found on the Dr. Oz website as a Wellness Warrior. You can also find Diane on Facebook and Twitter.

Hummus for Breakfast - A post and recipe idea from Sabra Chef MaryDawn Wright

2011-10-29T00:07:00.005-04:00

Everyday at 8:30 I eat hummus for breakfast. It’s not because I am a great creature of habit, or it’s part of my health regime. It is because at 8:30 everyday we review and taste the hummus made the day before in our factory in Virginia, where I work. We aren’t the only 5-6 people in the world that eat hummus for breakfast. There are millions more that do across the Arabic world.

Hummus is not only a dip or a salad eaten throughout the Middle East and around the world. It is also a healthy and popular breakfast food. Okay, it doesn’t snap crackle or pop, but it does provide plenty of protein and fiber to get your day off to a good start. When I was visiting Israel we went to a small Arabic town along the Mediterranean Sea. There, we went to a restaurant for breakfast. This restaurant served one item, prepared two ways. That item, you guessed it, was hummus. It was served warm with chiles, pickles, cabbage, onions and cilantro, classic style. It was also served with warm extra whole chickpeas and tahini in a dish called Mashausha. It was 8:00 am and the restaurant was packed. There was a line at the take out window 5 people deep. The restaurant opened at 6:00 am and served hummus until it was gone, sometime before noon.

Hummus with Fava beans and whole chickpeas at a hummus restaurant in Tel Aviv

What can I say? The hummus was wonderful and worth the trip!! It changed my mind about hummus for breakfast forever. I don’t serve hummus with cabbage for breakfast at home….just a hunch, but I don’t think it would play too well. During our morning chaos I don’t make anything too fancy. But, I do make breakfast quesadillas using hummus for my tween and teenage sons.

I simply grab a whole grain tortilla, throw it in our well used cast iron pan, top it with cheese, heat it over medium heat (with a touch of oil if necessary) and as the cheese begins to melt, top it with a tablespoon or two of hummus. Fold it in half, remove it from the pan and let it cool a bit and eat!! I usually serve it with some fresh fruit on the side. My sons enjoy this dish, it isn’t hummus by the Mediterranean but , it carries them through the morning until they eat lunch!

Passion for food, passion for life!

MaryDawn Wright
Corporate Executive Chef

Sabra Invites Facebook Fans to Taste Adventure Philanthropy

2011-09-26T17:36:00.001-04:00

We’ve got a very special project cooking at Sabra! This November we’ll be teaming up with adventure philanthropy company Roadmonkey to sponsor community development in Vietnam. A group of journey seeking men and women will be venturing deep into the Mekong Delta to build a revenue and food generating rice paddy & community garden, including a special project sponsored by Sabra. The team will be working alongside the people who will be benefiting from the rice paddy, an ethnic Khmer community struggling with poverty.

“Roadmonkey is grateful for Sabra's thoughtful support of this sustainable, hands-on volunteer project in Vietnam in November,” said Paul von Zielbauer, Roadmonkey's founder. “Vietnam is special to me and to Roadmonkey; it's where we launched our first adventure philanthropy expedition in 2008. Sabra clearly shares our passion for adventure and discovery, and we appreciate Sabra's efforts to help an impoverished community in need.”

Since 2008, Roadmonkey has organized many philanthropy adventures to Africa, Asia, Central America and South America, and has spearheaded as many community development projects. Past and future projects have included building a clean-water system in the northern highlands of Nicaragua, constructing a library at an orphanage in Saigon, and starting an organic farm on Zanzibar. Roadmonkey is committed to making the world a better place, one trip at a time.

Help us decide what Sabra can do to make a difference in Vietnam! Visit our Facebook page on October 1 to vote on whether Sabra should…

Build a shaded gazebo and bench area in the garden or
Add a hand pumped well or
Gift 5 sets of gardening tools or
Build a wooden roof over the children’s playground

and check back here after the trip ends for an update and blog post from Roadmonkey!

An update from Sabra Chef MaryDawn Wright, including a new recipe!

2011-08-29T12:07:00.010-04:00

Wheww!! The last few months have been a whirlwind. In-between product development work, recipe development, buying a house and moving, I participated in the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, International Dairy, Deli and Bakery show in Los Angeles and my favorite convention, BlogHer in San Diego. A big thank you to all of the inspiring women bloggers writing about healthy food for children, special needs advocacy, and food, fun, health and life generally.

BlogHer is a convention of over 3000 female bloggers from all walks of life, blogging about the experiences they find on their path. This year Sabra sponsored the afternoon snack break along with Stacy’s pita chips. We created a “Mediterranean Nacho Bar”. A variety of flavored pita chips joined 3 types of hummus and a nice assortment of toppings including Greek olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, cucumbers tossed in mint, roasted peppers, pepperoncini and shredded lettuce. It was a huge hit creating quite a buzz in the blogosphere. It’s quick and easy and barely needs a recipe. Try it at home!

PepsiCo was a major sponsor for the convention and Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo CEO, spoke at the keynote luncheon through a Q&A discussion. Her focus was “performance with purpose,” discussing how people want to go to work to earn a living but, just as importantly, want to contribute to a higher cause. She also stated companies have a “Duty of Care”. So, I ask you today on your way to or from work to pause and think what is your company’s “Duty of Care”? What is the higher purpose to which you contribute to or would like to contribute?

I am pretty clear on what they are for me and I try to use them as my internal compass keeping me on the path of being…me. I don’t always succeed but I keep coming back to them. They are a part of me I cannot ignore, because without them I would not be the MaryDawn we all know, love and/or find quite annoying…

With that said, August is vacation month in many places. If you can’t get away this month then please try this “Hummus Oasis” I created. I am going to the beach in a few weeks, but I think I’ll be bringing the ingredients for this super--‐simple recipe along with me!

Passion for food, passion for life,

MaryDawn

Hummus Oasis

A refreshing summer treat for those moments when you need an escape.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Special Equipment: 4 Martini glasses

½ cup Sabra® Chipotle or Supremely Spicy Hummus, divided

½ cup lump crab meat, divided

¼ cup Sabra® Spicy Guacamole, divided

½ cup microgreens or baby lettuce

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

pinch of salt

2/3 cup Bloody Mary mix or spicy tomato juice

4 shots vodka, very chilled (optional)

1. PLACE 2 tablespoons of hummus in the bottom of each martini glass.

2. TOP with 2 tablespoons of lump crab meat. Place guacamole on top of

crab.

3. TOSS microgreens, lemon juice and olive oil together. Place on top of

guacamole.

4. POUR Bloody Mary Mix around salad, creating a moat. Pour float of

optional vodka over Bloody Mary mix. Serve immediately.

Entertaining Expert Ceci Carmichael Loves Sabra

2011-06-30T15:59:00.014-04:00

Last week Entertaining Expert Ceci Carmichael was invited to share her favorite tips for planning a summer get-together with TV audiences. She suggested planning a party around a theme to give yourself an easy starting point for food and decorations and encourage guest to engage in your event. For this particular event, Ceci chose a garden party theme which carried over to her outfit and the flowers on the table. The food she showcased was colorful and healthy, perfect for an afternoon in the garden. Along with Stacy’s Pita Chips, Blue Bunny Ice Cream and Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, Ceci featured Sabra products!

Ceci knows that often the hardest part of planning a party is finding foods that please everyone. As a party host you want your guests to be comfortable and happy—not hungry. Ceci loves Sabra because of the great variety of products that we offer, from a dozen flavors of hummus to the new salsas, guacamoles and Greek yogurt vegetable dips. With so many options it’s easy to please even the pickiest of eaters. Pairing Sabra dips with vegetables, chips or bread allows for even more variety. Ceci was also impressed by how authentic and fresh the Sabra products tasted. She even admitted that since trying Sabra’s guacamole she’s given up on making her own!

You may have caught her on your local morning show in markets including Orlando, Atlanta, Springfield and Wichita, or on radio. She was also interviewed by CW’s The Daily Buzz morning show!

Here is a link to Ceci talking about what she loves about Sabra.

Sabra Welcomes Congressman Eric Cantor

2011-06-13T16:53:00.004-04:00

Sabra was excited to welcome Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia's 7th District to our factory this past Friday. Congressman Cantor toured the facility and met with Sabra team members.

Sabra CEO Ronen Zohar said, “We were honored to welcome Congressman Cantor to Sabra’s factory in Chesterfield County, VA. As makers of fresh, healthy dips and spreads, including the country’s best-selling hummus, we are proud to have built our Silver LEED certified manufacturing facility in Virginia. We applaud the Congressman’s efforts to create an environment for job growth in Virginia. As a matter of fact, we have announced we will host Sabra’s National Center of Excellence for Research and Development and Innovation in our Virginia facility. This hub of expertise will serve to develop and disseminate best practices throughout our organization nationwide. As Sabra continues to grow and expand our product offerings, we are confident we will continue to benefit from the community, the resources and the incredible talent in the region.”

An Intro and Recipe from Sabra Executive Chef MaryDawn Wright

2011-05-21T09:12:00.006-04:00

April showers have given way to the sunny days of BBQ season. Having just moved from upstate NY to Richmond, VA, I am enjoying the warmer weather the more southern climate brings (I may change my mind in August).

I moved to Richmond last September to work with Sabra as Executive Research Chef. In this position I work to develop new flavors and products for Sabra, combining my training in food science and the culinary arts. I also design recipes using Sabra products and teach people about our many products and their varied uses. I cook a lot! I’d love to give you an example of a typical workday at Sabra, but I don’t really have one! Each day is different. One day, I might be working in the plant with our production staff helping produce a new flavor, the next I may be in our test kitchen cooking and developing recipes for restaurants or for people at home, like you. Another day, I could review new ingredients or traveling and presenting our products at a food show.

Sabra has nearly 20 flavors of hummus and an expanding product portfolio that also includes Greek yogurt-style dips, cold Mediterranean-style salads, salsa, and guacamole. On a purely selfish level, this is great for me, because my favorite cuisines are Mediterranean and Mexican.

Many of our products help simplify the day to day busy-ness in the kitchen, as they are not only great tasting dips, but are healthy ingredients to help make dinner time simpler. As a mother of two boys (10 and 12) I can tell you that, even as a chef, I need all the help I can get trying to put dinner on the table, get homework done and go to sporting events.

To that end, did you know that Sabra hummus makes a great basting sauce for vegetables, chicken and meats? Brush it on a chicken, meat or vegetable kebab or a chicken breast as you are grilling it. It creates a golden brown crust as it cooks. Or brush it on just before you are done grilling so the hummus warms up and accents the flavor of the meat as a warm sauce.

Our Greek yogurt dips can be used as an excellent marinade for chicken. Here is a quick recipe:

Marinated Chicken Kebabs
Makes 4 Kebabs

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into chunks (about 1 inch in size)
1 container Sabra® Roasted Garlic or Onion Greek Style Veggie Dip, divided
1/8th teaspoon turmeric
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks (about 1 inch in size)
1 small yellow onion, chopped into chunks (about 1 inch in size)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. STIR chicken, ½ container Sabra® Roasted Garlic or Onion Greek Style Veggie Dip and turmeric together in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour allowing the veggie dip to tenderize and flavor the chicken.
2. PREHEAT broiler or grill.
3. ASSEMBLE kebabs, alternating pepper, onion and chicken on the skewers.
4. GRILL on charcoal grill outside or under the broiler indoors. Cook 10-15 minutes or until juice runs clear from the chicken.
5. BRUSH remaining yogurt dip over hot kebabs.
6. SERVE warm with a salad (try our cucumber avocado salad recipe), hummus, rice and warm pita bread for a Mediterranean style dinner.

I look forward to further conversations and sharing more recipes with you. Please let me know how you use our products and if you have any culinary questions.

Passion for food, passion for life,
MaryDawn

Bringing Adventure Seekers and Food Lovers to Sabra's Table

2011-05-16T19:45:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, we welcomed our 2011 Tastemaker Panel -- a select group of bloggers and influencers -- to help spread the Sabra story, share their thoughts and suggestions with the company, and to get an intimate look behind the scenes at the country's favorite hummus maker!

Sabra, which began as a small hummus brand in New York City, has become the leading manufacturer of flavored dips and spreads in the country. Best known for its top-selling hummus, Sabra unveiled several new lines of fresh and healthy dips and spreads to the Tastemaker Panel, including four flavors of salsa, two versions of guacamole, and three Greek Yogurt-based vegetable dips! Throughout its evolution and growth, Sabra has engendered a passionate response from fans who love to help others discover Sabra.

“Whether through our offline campaigns, social media efforts or our nationwide Sabra Taste Adventure Tour, we love connecting with Sabra fans,” said Mina Penna, Senior Brand Manager for Sabra Dipping Company. “The Tastemaker Panel is made up of an authentic and diverse group of people who inspire us with their passion for delicious food, sense of adventure, and passion to discover a healthier lifestyle. We have invited them to the Sabra table not only to help more people discover Sabra, but to share their experiences with us and help shape the Sabra story.”

Our Tastemaker panelists were among the first to try our new products, to visit the Sabra Silver LEED Certified factory in Chesterfield County VA, meet the Sabra brand and new product teams, and get a sneak peek at Sabra’s upcoming marketing and advertising initiatives. The Tastemaker Panel members also shared their thoughts with Sabra on new product development, social media, social responsibility, nutrition and recipes and usage ideas.

Each panel member will be contributing recipes to a downloadable PDF cookbook that will be made available to Sabra’s Facebook fans later this year, so stay tuned. Until then ... several of our Tastemaker Panel members wrote about their experiences, and we hope you will check their posts out!

The Sabra Factory through the eyes of Iowa Girl Eats.

The new hummus flavors, courtesy Chaviva Galatz.

Hailing from Tennessee, Diane Carbonell at Fit to the Finish marveled at how hummus is more than just a dip, while New Jersey-based Chaviva Galatz, aka the Kvetching Editor, highlighted the importance of gravity in the production of hummus at Sabra's factory.

The face behind Iowa Girl Eats, Kristin Porter, detailed the trip step by step, from the green initiatives at the factory to the "Spice Girls," who are in charge of organizing spices for each of the hummus flavors, and Virginia's own Linda Sellers, owner/author of Welcome to Linneyville, took some amazing photos -- she made hardhats look cool!

We were also happy to have The Meal Makeover Moms' Liz Weiss, who used her journalism background to ask some hard-hitting questions, and we want to thank her and fellow dietitian Janice Bissex for sharing their new cookbook, No Whine With Dinner, with our Tastemaker Panel.

Also, although we missed Founder & CEO of Roadmonkey Adventure Philanthropy Inc. Paul von Zielbauer and Deanna Garretson of Domestic Chicky, we look forward to recipes from them and Atlanta-based Renee Ross of Cutie Booty Cakes, too!

For more information on our new fresh products, check out this blog post!

The Taste Adventure: An Update So Far

2011-05-13T15:48:00.010-04:00

As some of you may have already known, Sabra has embarked on a Taste Adventure across the country and it has been a huge success so far. We started out giving away free samples of Sabra's Classic Hummus and Stacy's Pita Chips in the sunny streets of Miami, moved up the coast to Orlando, made New Yorkers smile with the free samples, and also recently launched two Sabra Taste Adventure trucks in Seattle and San Diego.

Along the way we had some really cool things happen! In New York City, the Sabra Adventure 2 was tweeted by Thomas Kelly, the warm up comic for Newlyweds and ABC's The View, to bring his audience Sabra hummus and Stacy's Pita Chips and we obliged without hesitation.

Here's a look at the tweet from Thomas:

And here's Thomas with one of our Sabra Brand Ambassadors at the Newlywed show:

It was a great day and the Sabra Adventure 2 team had a lot of fun coordinating the whole thing. We've met a lot of fun people along the way in every city we've been in. Check out photos below of some of the Sabra fans we've encountered thus far.

Our Sabra Taste Adventure teams have been handing out our Classic Hummus and Stacy's Pita chips to hundreds of thousands of people and bringing smiles to their faces along the way. The reaction is pretty much unanimous for those who tried Sabra for the first time at our Taste Adventure Trucks:

"Sabra is the best hummus and now the only hummus I will ever buy!"

"I really LOVE the Pine Nut flavor -- there's nothing else like it!"

"My daughter told me about the free samples and I had to come out and try them for myself!"

We couldn't be happier with the response from the wonderful people we've met and are looking forward to the many more "Taste Adventures" to come throughout 2011. Stay tuned for more updates from the current markets as well as Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, and Philadelphia -- to name a few. If you had a fun experience at one of our Taste Adventure trucks that you would like to share, tell us about it in a comment on this post!

Also, visit us on facebook at facebook.com/sabra for contests, more fun, and product information!

Sabra Welcomes the 2011 Tastemaker Panel

2011-05-10T19:08:00.007-04:00

Sabra has announced the members of its 2011 Tastemaker Panel! Adventure seekers, passionate food lovers, writers and thought leaders are invited to the Sabra table to help shape and share Sabra story.

The group will get a special behind the scenes look at the Sabra factory, new products and have a chance to meet with the brand and innovation team as well as Sabra's executive chef.

We know some of your favorite bloggers are here so feel free to tweet a congrats #Tastemakers and ask them any questions about the Sabra experience!

Tastemakers on Twitter:
@reneejross

@lizweiss

@fittothefinish

@kvetchingeditor

@RoadmonkeyCEO

@iowagirleats

@deannagarretson

Sabra Brings Something Fresh to the Table

2011-05-05T12:52:00.005-04:00

We are excited to share some big new product news today!

Sabra to Bring Something Fresh to the Table

Makers of Top-Selling Hummus – Sabra Dipping Company – to Introduce Authentic Dips of the World featuring Sabra Salsa, Guacamole and Greek Yogurt Vegetable Dips

Inspired by some of the world’s most cherished and authentic recipes, Sabra Dipping Company, the country’s leading hummus manufacturer, announced today it will enter several new categories, introducing fresh lines of salsa, guacamole and Greek yogurt-based vegetable dips under the Sabra brand. The company will also expand its award-winning hummus line with two new flavors.

“Consumers are broadening their food horizons and seeking a variety of fresh, healthy and authentic foods and snacks,” said Ken Kunze, Chief Marketing Officer for Sabra Dipping Company. “Sabra has been on trend with hummus and is now expanding into more vegetable-based snacks. What Sabra brings to the table is a fresh approach to some authentic favorites by tapping into the flavors of the world while delivering the same quality and superior taste that has become synonymous with the Sabra name. We are thrilled to give consumers an opportunity to discover new experiences of the world right at their table.”

The array of new products is being introduced now and will be rolled out nationwide in coming months.

Sabra Salsa Sabra will launch its Salsa line in four authentic flavors. Classic, Southwestern Style, Home-style, and Chunky Pico de Gallo salsas feature fresh cut, chunky vegetables delivering a delicious taste that results from using fresh, never processed Roma tomatoes. Sabra Salsa comes in convenient, dip-friendly, recyclable and attractive bowl making it easy to serve. All varieties of Sabra Salsas are fat free, gluten free and kosher. The Salsas can be discovered in the refrigerated section of the deli aisle at club stores and supermarkets nationwide.

Sabra Greek Yogurt Veggie Dips The delicious creaminess of Sabra’s small batch Greek yogurt is combined with fresh vegetables, herbs and spices to create a delicious new line of Sabra’s all natural Veggie Dips. Launching in four authentic flavors, Roasted Garlic, Spinach and Artichoke, Sun Dried Tomato and Onion & Fresh Herbs, the Sabra Veggie Dips provide a much needed, great tasting alternative to fattening sour cream based white dips. With 67% fewer calories and 88% less fat than the leading sour cream dip, this new family of dips is the perfect solution for those demanding great taste and high quality in fresh, all natural products. The Veggie Dips will be available in the refrigerated section of the deli aisle where Sabra products are sold.

Sabra Guacamole An authentic recipe of all natural Guacamole made fresh from Mexican-grown Hass avocados will debut as part of Sabra’s family of health-friendly dips and spreads. Sabra’s take on this favorite dip features fresh avocados and a chunky texture just like homemade. Like Sabra’s other products, the guacamole comes ready to serve in attractive, dip-friendly, recyclable containers. Launching in Classic and Spicy flavors, Sabra Guacamole is all natural, gluten free and kosher and can be found in the refrigerated section of the deli aisle.

Sabra Hummus, New Flavors Sabra’s extensive line of hummus will see the addition of two popular flavors this year. Sabra’s Basil Pesto Hummus blends delicious fresh pesto with Sabra’s creamy classic hummus. The new Buffalo Style Hummus delivers Sabra’s worldly take on an American favorite. Both make perfect healthy dips and delicious spreads. The new flavors will be available where Sabra products are sold.

For more information about Sabra’s new products, please visit www.sabra.com.

From Chef Colombe - A New Year and Healthy Ideas for Super Bowl Entertaining!

2011-01-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

At the start of a new year, it’s always a great time to think about leaving your old unwanted habits behind. It’s all about a fresh start and making a conscious effort to create positive change by beginning a new. For this reason, I love the beginning of the year, there’s a universal sense of optimism in the air. Now that the busyness of the holidays are pretty much behind us, we can turn our energy inward and reflect on the past year and the year to come.

As a chef, naturally, I’m thinking about all of the new dishes I want to make-and particularly, new and innovative ways to enjoy Sabra in everyday meals. Whether it be for an everyday dinner, entertaining or quick on the go portable meals and snacks; there’s always a Sabra answer for any meal of the day and it’s always something new and exciting. I promise to help prevent food ruts in 2011!

It’s also just after the holidays that many of us start to think about what we’ll be serving for our Super Bowl gatherings! Now the standard Super Bowl menus include dips and easy to pop in your mouth foods, something that will keep you feeling satiated, but nothing to distract you from the game. The standard Super Bowl fare tends to be very heavy and loaded with empty calories, so why not turn to some new ideas to lighten it up a bit and make your noshing all the more enjoyable?

So let me first suggest including a beautiful crudités platter with your favorite Sabra flavors. This can be assembled ahead so that it’s ready to go when your guests arrive. Choose your favorite veggies and you and your guests will be so much happier than if you had been eating chips all day. Plus, you’ll have more room for drinks!

Almost every Super Bowl menu includes chicken wings. My favorite accompaniment to chicken is hummus; why not use Sabra Hummus instead of a ranch dip? It’s kinder on your waistline, and a nice departure from the everyday ordinary. Hummus deviled eggs are one of my new recent favorites, so check them out in the recipe below. Look for other great recipes one www.sabra.com, including Mediterranean Burgers with Hummus. They're delicious and you can make them sliders using small dinner rolls for buns so that they’re bite sized and easier finger food.

A delicious alternative to chips are homemade pita chips, they can be made so easily in advance! Hummus raviolis are another great menu option, just a couple of bites and easy to pop in your mouth during commercial breaks! We’d love to hear about your original Super bowl dishes and how you enjoy Sabra in your own menus, let us know how it goes!

Hummus Deviled Eggs

Recipe by Colombe Jacobsen

Makes 12 pieces

6 eggs

1/3 cup+1 Tablespoon hummus

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons relish

Paprika for garnish

1.Put eggs in pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and let sit for 14 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and run cold water over the eggs. Cool eggs 10 minutes.

2.Once cool enough to peel remove the shells. Cut in half and scoop out the yolk and reserve in bowl of a food processor. Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs.

3.To the yolks add, hummus, olive oil, pepper, salt and puree in the food processor. Add the relish and pulse 3-5 times to incorporate.

4. Put the yolk mixture in a piping bag. (Use a tall glass and fold the edges of the piping bag over the glass to make it easier to transfer the mixture.) Pipe about a teaspoon of the mixture into each of the egg white halves and sprinkle with paprika.

Happy Holiday Entertaining Ideas from Chef Colombe!

2010-12-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

With the holidays upon us, it’s time to start drumming up fresh menu ideas. Since most celebrations are centered on sharing good food, it’s always helpful to have new recipes. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of it all, but here are some simple and delicious entertaining ideas-so that you can enjoy the holidays, and have more time to spend with your family and friends.

In order to be the perfect host, try to prep as much as you can ahead of time and save the finishing details for the day of the party. Stick to simple dishes that you feel comfortable making. If you have any hesitation and there’s time- I recommend trying most recipes on yourself, before you serve them to larger groups. This way you’ll be more familiar with the preparation, and everything will go smoothly. And remember, less is more, serve a few items that you feel confident about rather than trying to prepare too many recipes at once.

Often times we stick to the same old dishes, but I love introducing new and unique ideas to keep things fun. They can be so enjoyable and a great conversation piece-many times people will even ask you for the recipe. It’s usually out of habit that we serve the same menus, and we don’t want to fall into a “holiday food rut” so hopefully I can entice you with a few new recipes to spice things up. Here are a few Sabra ideas you can throw into the mix to make your holiday entertaining that much easier AND will be sure to please!

You can find all of these recipes on the website and many have video blogs, showing you step-by-step directions.

(All recipes available at www.sabra.com)

Hummus Raviolis with Red Pepper Coulis- This is an elegant appetizer that can be served as a finger food with cocktails, or as an appetizer layered on a larger plate. The raviolis can be assembled in advance as well as the sauce. Just take a few minutes before serving to sauté in a pan. You can even keep extras warm in the oven while you mingle with your guests.

Mediterranean Burger with Hummus-You can turn these regular sized burgers into sliders for a cocktail party. Just make smaller patties and use smaller buns. These too can be made in advance; your last step is to cook them for a few minutes on each side and to spread your favorite Sabra hummus flavor over-top.

Hummus Mashed Potatoes-How about some hummus love instead of loads of butter? This is a great staple on any holiday table, and the hummus is a delicious and surprising departure from everyday butter. Great with Turkey or with a holiday Roast.

Hummus Bruschetta- It doesn’t get much easier than toasting some sliced baguette and spreading on some hummus. A nice little bite to enjoy with some cocktails or wine.

Hummus Cucumber Cups-Here’s a go-to hors d’oeurve that takes minutes to prepare. The cucumber hummus combo is a nice light alternative to heavier holiday fare, and it can be prepped up to an hour in advance and stored in the fridge.

Sabra Hummus Dip-keep it super simple and plate a variety of veggies to dip in your favorite Sabra Hummus, you can serve pita chips on the platter too!

Enjoy!

Ray Cooks for His Firehouse Family

2010-12-02T14:47:00.001-05:00

Ray sent us his blog entry about his first experience using all of the skills he learned in Turkey to prepare dinner for the firehouse. Sounds delicious!
Today is the day that I will get to show off the cooking skills I learned while on my Taste Intervention trip in Turkey. Right now I am at the firehouse awaiting the arrival of the film crew who will be following me around today throughout Philadelphia as I shop for what I need to create this incredible meal tonight.

The meal will be three courses. The first course will be a mezze tasting. Mezze is Turkish for starter. I will be making mashed fava beans, babaganoush, red pepper/pimento paste & a yogurt, dill and olive oil dip. Also, the olive oil I made in Turkey will be on the table for tasting.

The second course will be lamb kebabs with eggplant, squash & zucchini. I will be making a quick marinade of my olive oil, some fresh dill and oregano for about 20 minutes. After shaking off the excess olive oil I will be coating the lamb with Sabra Classic Hummus and then skewering the lamb and veggies and broiling.

My third and main course is chicken and vegetables cooked in a clay pot and artichoke bottoms with peas and carrots cooked in water and olive oil.

Ok, it's now time to put up or shut up. I have called in the cavalry to help me out in the kitchen to get this meal underway because there is a ton of prep work to do. Brian is here helping (I hope he remembers some of the stuff we learned in Turkey) and so is my co-worker Sharon. They are cutting & dicing veggies as I prepare the mezzes that will next go in the refrigerator to meld together as the other parts of the meal come together.

Well we are a little behind now. While the prep work was being done we received a dispatch for an activated alarm at a nearby hospital. Thankfully for all, it was an accidental activation and now we are back in the kitchen of Engine 56 working our butts off to get this meal finished. Brian has been thrown out of the kitchen because he has reached the end of his usefulness.

It's dinner time and everyone has assembled in the kitchen and I am explaining what we are having for dinner to our invited guests, Deputy Chief Robert Wilkins and his aide, Mark Royal, Battalion Chief James Renniger and his aide, Jim Kneile, firefighter Bill Mitchell and firefighter Phil Poindexter.

You know, meals at the firehouse kitchen table are like no other. There is a spirit of camaraderie, friendship and humor that you will not find anywhere else. Everyone is enjoying the meal and there is a very lighthearted atmosphere in the kitchen.

Well, the meal is now over. I received many compliments and everyone enjoyed themselves. Tonight was a turning point for me. I was able to cook a three-course meal for ten people in our tiny firehouse kitchen and bring it all together in the end. Time management is no longer a problem for me and by cooking this meal I now have a confidence that I did not have before. Also, I allowed others into the kitchen to help me out with the meal preparation which I have never done before.

When I was in Turkey, I was the student. By cooking this meal tonight for my coworkers and explaining it for the camera crew as each step was completed I feel that I am now the teacher. The circle is now complete.

Thank you Sabra. By selecting me as your Taste Intervention Contest Winner you have turned my life around.

Get Your Passport to Culture from Sabra!

2010-11-10T12:20:00.000-05:00

Ray is back from Turkey, but we want to get more Sabra fans their passports, and help them tour the world, from the comfort of their own homes!

This week Sabra fans nationwide are hosting Sabra House Parties. They're sharing Sabra hummus and playing trivia from the Passport to Culture® board game. To celebrate, we're giving away 6 Passport to Culture board games on Twitter!

Follow @sabra on Twitter and keep a look out for trivia questions from the game to be posted. Reply @sabra and the correct answer to be entered to win your own Passport to Culture® board game!

About the game:
Travel the world with your Passport To Culture®! The World Culture Game is an international education unto itself and a unique gift appealing to adults and children (10+). From Andorra to Zimbabwe, this fun, educational board game tests your knowledge of world cultures with question and answer cards on every country in the world. Not just for world travelers, Passport To Culture® is the board game where players can discover their CQ® (Cultural Intelligence™) with fascinating, fun-filled facts about people and places, food and drink, world treasures, greetings and gestures, or customs and traditions.

More than a family, fun, party, trivia game, Passport To Culture® is also utilized by schools and museums and offers an education in diverse topics including: culture, geography, social studies, anthropology, critical thinking, and much more! Passport To Culture® board games are available in select outlets including: travel stores, gift shops, educational supply stores, museums, toy and game stores, bookstores, specialty catalogs, and on-line. Discover the fun as you travel on an educational journey around the world. Grab your copy of Passport To Culture® today!

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 7

2010-10-25T14:35:00.001-04:00

Well today is my traveling home day. I was awoken at 6:00 am Istanbul time and my driver had arrived at the hotel by 7:00 am to take me to the airport for my 12:00 pm flight home.

So as I write my final journal entry about this trip we are at 34,000 feet in the North Atlantic somewhere a little north of St. John’s, Newfoundland and a couple of things come to mind.

Today I return to Philadelphia with mixed emotions. On one side, I have learned & experienced much here. Culturally, historically & educationally, this has been one of the most diverse weeks of my life. The parts of Turkey I visited have burned an impression in my mind that will never be forgotten. The other side of the coin is that it’s now time to return home. I miss my family and friends & I also wish to share my experiences and put my new culinary skills to work.

This has been an incredible week! I have learned & experienced more in the last week than some people get to experience in their entire lives! This trip for me has been more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you Sabra for helping me to get out of my food rut and finding me worthy of a taste intervention!

Ray

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 6

2010-10-25T14:34:00.001-04:00

Today is my last day in Istanbul and I am here on my own.

Just me and Istanbul.

Just as I was getting used to the film crew and the rain, both departed from Istanbul early today.

Since I had the day to myself and the sun had decided to return I decided to do a few things that I did not have time to do in the previous week. First up was a cruise on the Bosporus Straight. You purchase your ticket at the Eminonu pier which is practically at the base of the Galata Bridge. Stops along the way include Besiktas, Kanlica, Yenikov, Sariyer, Rumeli Kavagi & Anadolu Kavagi. On the way up I just sat inside on the first deck, relaxing, drinking coffee and soaking up the atmosphere. Once in Anadolu Kavagi which is on the Asian side of Istanbul I walked around on the waterfront, meeting local merchants and checking things out. I then decided to try to conquer the walk up the mountain to Yoros Castle. Twenty five minutes later I had one of the most spectacular views of the Bosporus Straight possible. The view from the castle is impressive to say the least. You look directly out on the Bosporus and on a clear day you can see straight to the Black Sea!

By the the time I descended the mountain it was time to reboard the ferry. Since I relaxed on the way up I decided to return on the top deck of the ferry and take as many pictures as possible. The homes along the waterfront of the Bosporus are quite impressive to say the least. Stately, elegant and ostentatious are words that come to mind. Many palaces of the former Sultans of Turkey are clearly visible from the cruise.

Once back in Eminonu I decided to hoof it over to the Grand Bazaar which may be the most intimidating place that I have visited while here in Turkey. To say the least the Grand Bazaar is overwhelming. In business since 1461 the Bazaar has something for everyone. With around 4,000 shops in a covered, enclosed marketplace, navigation is just impossible. For the most part, the bazaar is mobbed. It’s like an indoor mall on steroids! If you go, just go with the flow and don’t have a plan. If you just stumble around, you are sure to find what you are looking for. From souvenirs, to Turkish carpets to copper cookware, the Bazaar has it all. One more thing, you will get turned around easily in the Grand Bazaar and you can almost count on leaving from a different gate than you arrived in. There are twenty five entrances in all.

Once done at the Bazaar I headed over to the Basilica Cistern. Built in the sixth century, the Basilica Cistern provided water supply for early Byzantine leaders of what is now Istanbul. Water traveled via the Valens Aqueduct to the holding tanks of what would later be called an engineering marvel. In the far corner are two support columns whose bases are the stone replicas of the head of Medusa. Funny thing is, no one knows why. The Basilica Cistern is something that I definitely recommend. Well goodnight all. Tomorrow I return home. I have an early wake up to catch my flight back to NYC then my shuttle ride back to Philadelphia so I am calling it quits for the night.

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 5

2010-10-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

Good morning!

Today was an early start. We were up at 4:45 am this morning to catch our flight back to Istanbul. We have landed at the airport on the Asian side of Istanbul and we are traveling to the European side via the 1^st Intercontinental Bridge. Did you know that Istanbul is the only city in the world that touches two continents?

Once back in the European side of Istanbul we will be traveling to the Spice Bazaar to purchase some spices that I will use in my cooking class today.

Ok, a forever memory moment is occurring right now. I am about to cross the 1^st Intercontinental bridge back into European Istanbul. It’s kind of funny because before I won the Taste Intervention contest that Sabra sponsored I had never left North America. Now in a period of a few days I have left my mark in Europe & Asia.

I am now at Feriye Restaurant right on the Bosphorus Straight. I am waiting to meet Mr. Vedat Basaran who is the restaurant’s owner and a Master Chef. Mr. Basaran will be teaching me a two course meal in the traditional Ottoman Style. I am stoked to meet this legend of Turkish cuisine and I am sure that I will benefit from his knowledge and experience.

Our class today consisted of learning a entrée and a starter. I learned how to prepare sea bass in yogurt and wild herbs and also mashed eggplant with yogurt and olive oil. Mr Basaran is an excellent teacher and was very patient with me as he explained everything in great detail. Before I left I had the opportunity to present Mr Basaran with a tee shirt from the Philadelphia Fire Department and ironically, the colors of the shirt were the colors of his favorite futbal team.

I had to sit for a “formal interview" with the camera crew today to talk about my experiences while here in Turkey. I thought that this was going to be the most difficult thing I did while here in Turkey but to be honest, it went smooth as silk.

Next, we headed back towards “Old Istanbul” for a side trip to the Underground Cistern. This was a multi purpose visit. Of course there is the historical aspect of the visit. You know, seeing a below ground room that at one time was a water collection and storage facility for the Istanbul of centuries ago. The other angle was from an educational perspective. While at the cistern, I was introduced to the rhythmic hand drum and took a belly dancing class. Yes, I said belly dancing class. Although I was not really very good at either of the activities, I did enjoy myself.

The day ended with a nice dinner at a restaurant located in the middle of the Bosporus Straight. The view and the food was incredible. The dinner included some authentic Turkish meze and some superbly prepared lamb kebabs.

Ok well that's all for now. Tomorrow is my final day in Turkey & I have the day to myself. I think I will just play it by ear and I will go exploring Istanbul on my own and see what I find.

Ray

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 4

2010-10-25T12:18:00.000-04:00

Hello and once again greetings from Cunda Island!

This morning our day started off with a swim in the Aegean Sea. The water was a bit brisk at first, but was more than tolerable. The clarity of the water was unbelievable! At a depth of eight feet, I could easily see to the bottom.

After swimming we returned to our hotel for a quick breakfast and then it was off to cooking class. Today, with the help and guidance of Master Chef Adile and her two capable assistants, Sultan & Pinar & our tour guide, Ciemen, I prepared a six course meal for ten people. The meal included artichoke hearts in olive oil with peas and carrots, lamb with yogurt, stuffed, steamed fish stew, stuffed pumpkin blossoms, gummy rice pudding & roasted pumpkin wrapped in filo dough. After the meal was complete, we sampled my cooking and I received many compliments for good efforts and a job well done.

Soon after sampling lunch, we left Cunda Island to be the guests of Emir, Sabira Hussan & Hussien who live in the mountainous area just outside of Ayvalik. After stopping along the way for some panoramic still photos we arrived at our destination and were welcomed into their home where they hosted us for dinner. Immediately I was made to feel like one of the family. I was treated to a dinner feast that would impress anyone. We started off with a tomato broth soup which was followed by fresh fried sardines, babaganoush, a bounty of olive dishes and many others too numerous to mention. I was treated like royalty and I felt a warmth from them that I still feel now as I write this entry. Soon it was time to head back to our hotel and we departed company. Before I left, Emir and I prayed together wishing each other health, & happiness for years to come. As we drove back to the hotel in our bus, I couldn’t stop thinking about how warm and open these people were to me.

Oh, one more thing. Apparently, I may have hit the oil well my first time out. The owner of the olive grove told me that the olive oil that I picked & pressed had turned out to be quite the bottling. He suggested that I send some to the LA County Fair Olive Oil Competition. He seems to think that I could win a medal!

Well that’s all for now. I have an early wake up tomorrow as we need to catch a plane and head to Istanbul.

Ray

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 3

2010-10-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

Hello and greetings from Cunda (pronounced Junda) Island. Once again, we are headed back to the olive grove. Yesterday I worked alongside the professional workers who pick the olives and today I learned the process of pressing out my own olive oil.

First the olives are brought to the processing center. The olives are then loaded into a hopper and cleaned. Next the olives are separated from any remaining branches and leaves. If any leaves remain after this process they are removed by hand. Next, the olives are split in half and then crushed and refined into a paste. Once the paste process is complete the oil begins to rise and separate from the paste. The oil is next purified and cleaned with a water purification process and then bottled. I am not sure why but my olive oil is the BEST I have ever tasted, hands down!

Our next stop was at a rural village where we were welcomed into the home of a local sheppard whose name was Vildan. She welcomed us with Turkish tea (my new favorite drink in the world) & pastries. Vildan is a warm and wonderful lady whose hospitality was unending. Vildan took me to see her sheep and other farm animals and then showed me the summer pen where the sheep are kept. It was like a lean-to type structure built around a tall tree composed mostly of wood and palm branches. We then walked around her farm area as she showed me the azalea plants that she was growing that will eventually become azalea shrubs. Soon after it was time to part company & even though Vildan did not speak any English and I do not speak any Turkish, I felt we had an understanding of each other by the time we departed company. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.

After leaving Vildan’s farm we stopped for a visit with our new friend from the olive grove, Ismaial. We were welcomed into Ismaial’s home like were were old friends. His wife prepared us more Turkish tea and corn on the cob. She then showed us her needlework whose detail absolutely blew me away. It was truly like a work of art. Ismaial and his family are true ambassadors of the Turkish culture.

Our last stop of the day was back in Ayvalik for a light dinner of mezzes. Mezze means “starter” in the Turkish language. Our tour guide, Chimen, explained all the dishes as they were brought to the table. A majority of the dishes were yogurt based and included one which had a dill weed flavoring and one which was flavored by cooked radish leaves and red pepper flakes. Other dishes included a grilled eggplant which was diced and mixed with olive oil and a diced eggplant in a tomato & garlic sauce. Also, I got to try mashed fava beans.

Well, that’s all for today. I’ll be cooking tomorrow, eating my creation and having dinner with a local Turkish family. Have a great day and I will see y’all later.

Ray

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 2

2010-10-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

Hello Sabra Lovers!

Today was a free day for me so I decided that today I would try to expand my horizons and go out in Istanbul on my own. My day started with a breakfast on the roof of our hotel. Being that I am in Turkey I felt that I should eat what the people of Istanbul would have so I had raw quail eggs for breakfast! It was really pretty good.

Then I headed down to the Bosphorus Strait and found about forty different restaurants right on the pier area and many nice people who were happy to give me directions. After this we crossed the bridge and headed to the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar. The Egyptian Bazaar sells all kinds of spices and herbs along with many different types of souvenirs and clothing.

For lunch we headed back to the Bosphorus Strait and I had a really great lunch consisting of a small salad and fresh fried anchovies.

After lunch, we wandered aimlessly through the Eminonu, Sultanhmet&Taskim areas meeting local folk and experiencing their culture. What a rewarding experience that was.

Ok, that's all for now. It's time to go to the airport for the next leg of the journey,

Ayvalik.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

Ray

Ray's Journal Entry - Day 1

2010-10-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone. Greetings from Istanbul, Turkey! Wow. What a day. Ten hours on a plane and not long after I arrived we began a seven hour guided walking tour of Old Istanbul.

I visited the Hippodrome which used to be a place where chariot races were held. After that I was whisked over to the Blue Mosque where I saw some of the most amazing tile work in the world.

Next up was the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia at once was an Orthodox church which later became a mosque after the Ottoman's seized Constantinople (now Istanbul). Now this is a national museum. It is amazing to see the mosaics and frescos in the Hagia Sophia. Many were plastered over by the Ottoman's and are only being rediscovered now

We then walked across the street to Topkapi Palace, which was the home and workplace of many Sultan's of the Ottoman period. This palace is now a museum showcasing many artifacts of the Ottoman Sultans. Not to be missed is the Treasury Room where the Topkapi dagger is on display and the Hall of Relics which contains a sample of Mohammeds hair, the hand and head of John the Baptist (supposedly), King David's Turban & supposedly the staff that Moses used when he parted the Red Sea. The day ended with a traditional Turkish Bath at Cemberlita's Hamami which is the oldest operating Turkish Bath in Istanbul. It's history dates back to 1584.

Well, that's all for now. I am a bit wiped out. Check back tomorrow to see what I'm up to.

Until then...

Ray

Rescuing a Firefighter from a Food Rut

2010-10-18T19:53:00.000-04:00

The Sabra Taste Intervention is underway! Philadelphia based firefighter Ray Clothier has touched down in Turkey to explore the region and experience once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventures. Ray and his guest plan to take in all they can learn (and consume) and bring back some new skills to the hard working and hungry heroes at Fire Station 56 in Philadelphia.

Ray was selected from tens of thousands who entered Sabra’s Taste Intervention challenge. As seen on major television networks, online and at Sabra’s national tour, Sabra invited fans to nominate individuals who had fallen into a food rut.

Fans voted online for those most in need of rescue from a food rut and finalists were judged by an expert panel of food connoisseurs including author and New York Times writer Jennifer Lee, food reviewer and writer Kimberly Vetrano, nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, author and blogger Stephanie Im, food columnist and author Bonnie Tandy Leblang, and cookbook author and Aviva Goldfarb.

The main cook for the crew at Fire Station 56 in Philadelphia, Ray says “The members of Engine 56 work hard and deserve good food. I cook a lot of basic meals for my crew currently, and this trip is going to allow me to expand my abilities so that I can give the hard working members of Engine 56 new, delicious and healthy meals instead of the same thing week in and out. Engine 56 is like family to me and deserves only the best.”

We’ll be blogging Ray’s journal entries and photos from his trip. Check back for updates from Ray’s travels!

After School Snack Ideas from Chef Colombe Jacobsen

2010-09-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

The days are getting shorter and crisper and the kids are back in school. We’re trading summertime tomatoes and melon for the fall harvest. Somehow, after all of these years, I can still remember being incredibly hungry after a full day at school. I usually had an afterschool activity to go to and needed something to snack on since dinner was still a couple of hours away. This is the perfect time to start thinking about the ultimate healthy and delicious afterschool snacks, as well as consider portable foods options, perfect for packing in our brown bag lunches. This way we can turn to nutritionally positive foods and skip the empty calories.

After a full day at school or work, what can we turn to in order to tide us over until mealtime? Best to turn to foods that will keep our energy high and not completely spoil our dinner. I usually opt for something convenient that requires little preparation but satisfies our after-school appetite. Maybe the kids have afterschool activities, or homework to do that requires a little fuel to get finished.

Here are some suggestions. Many of these recipes can be found on the Sabra website as well as demonstration videos and even more ideas.

Sabra Hummus as a dip ~ Simply delicious, use your favorite Sabra Hummus for dipping fresh veggies. You can buy pre-cut veggies or bagged carrots at the market for an extra time saver. Or try cutting your own veggies ahead of time when you’re already cooking and store them in the fridge for a few days. Stacey’s Pita Chips are also a nice variation.

Cucumber Cups ~ A little fancier than just dipping veggies, try cutting cucumbers about an inch thick, carving out little vessels and spooning or piping hummus inside. Another fun way to enjoy hummus and veggies and you can serve them at your next party too.

Hummus Pita Pizzas ~ Healthier and lighter than cheesy pizza, just take pitas, warm them and spread hummus over-top. You can add your favorite veggies or just top off with some of the Sabra garnish, slice and serve in minutes.

Sabra Snack Packs ~These 1 oz. sized, individually packaged, hummus portions are the perfect solution for on-the-go snacking or to include in lunches. They can be eaten with veggies or many kids I know enjoy hummus with a spoon!

Hummus Wraps ~ Choose your favorite hummus and put together your own wraps. You can be creative or use whatever you have on hand. Try to store fresh pre-washed romaine lettuce in the fridge and add any other vegetables you like. Wrap and roll. These are great for a more filling snack or for school lunches.

Hummus Chicken Salad~ Find this recipe on the Sabra website, use hummus instead of mayo with diced chicken for a protein packed salad. Try using the chicken salad in wraps too!

Hummus Egg Salad ~ Eggs with hummus is a winning combination. Hard boil eggs and add hummus instead of mayo. You can free form by adding your favorite fresh herbs, or put on a sandwich between to slices of bread.

How Chef Colombe stays out of a food rut.

2010-09-17T14:49:00.000-04:00

When I started thinking about the whole idea of “Food Ruts”, and how to stay out of them, I started reflecting on times when I may have been in one myself, or how, for the most part, I have managed to stay out of them altogether. “How or why or when does a person fall into one?” I asked myself. And all of this thinking got me reflecting on my own cooking and eating history and how fortunate I am to have been exposed to growing, cooking and eating different foods from a very young age.

Recently I was looking through old photos in my grandmother's albums and noticed a common theme. Many of the fun activities we did when I was a child somehow centered around making something edible. Like the time we went to a local festival and first tried homemade ice cream. We went home and later that week made it for ourselves- with two bowls and ice in between. I churned it with a spoon and a lot of "elbow grease." I can still remember the way it tasted - perfectly creamy and peachy, refreshing for a hot summer's day after running around the yard.

This was around the time of my first memories eating from the garden. She would send me to the back yard to pick the ripest, reddest, juiciest tomatoes I could find or to fetch fresh herbs straight from the garden. These grew like weeds in the flowerbeds and were never purchased from the grocery store. It was here I had my first experience with composting too. My Grammy had a big bucket in the kitchen for food scraps that my grandfather would periodically bring out to the farthest reaches of the yard to deposit in the compost heap. These were invaluable lessons in the process of getting food on the table in truest “field to fork” spirit.

I think when we are more connected to the way food grows and how our meals are made, we become much more interested in what we’re eating. I see it all the time in the cooking classes I teach for kids. When we make a recipe together, everyone tries the finished dish and loves it, including foods they may not realize they actually like to eat at home with their own families.

My grandmother's strengths in the kitchen were undeniable with sweets and baking. Our first kitchen endeavor was her signature coconut cake - vanilla based with vanilla frosting and coconut flakes, with a finishing touch of magenta "impatient" flowers plucked from the patio. And to think these were only the beginnings of my culinary adventures to come.

As long as I can remember, I was always an adventurous eater. My parents took me everywhere with them, and I always ate what they were having. I can't remember ever once ordering off of the "kids menu" at a restaurant. We traveled a lot and ate our way through local markets all around the world. To think my mother didn't try an avocado until she was eight years old.

Having traveled to France when I was a little one, I always looked forward to ordering Escargot drenched in butter and garlic and perfect for dipping fresh baked morsels of baguettes.

When I was 10 years old, I was in charge of making dinner for the family one night a week. I didn't make spaghetti or grilled cheese sandwiches -instead I scoured my mom's cookbooks for dishes I had tried in restaurants, like Shrimp Tempura or Avogolemeno Soup (Greek Egg Lemon Soup). I was looking for the best meal I could deliver. Then I'd enlist my mom to shop and cook with me, undoubtedly, I needed help at that age. After all, sharp knives and a hot stove were involved, and I had no way to get to the grocery store on my own. I never viewed cooking to be hard work; it was something that I did as a fun pass-time and we all loved to eat.

I always enjoyed cooking, but I think initially, my main inspiration was how much I enjoyed eating. Not just feeding myself, but preparing delicious meals to be shared with loved ones. There's something incredibly satisfying about sharing an enjoyable meal with good company.

It wasn't until I was left to my own devices, just out of college, that my passion for good food really became clear. I was on my own and making my own choices. I loved going to the farmer's markets around New York City. I’d always come home with bags filled with the best fresh produce I could find. I'd page through cookbooks and cookbook magazines and would dog ear recipes that looked good. Then I started planning dinner parties in my small apartment. Our dining table and kitchen were actually situated in a glorified hallway between my room and my roommate's room so there was little room to move around, but we made it work. I finally went to a local cooking school and signed up to assist classes for free, to see if this was something I was absolutely sure of. Six months later I was enrolled in the Chef's training program at the Natural Gourmet, which became an excellent foundation for my career.

I guess you could say my decision to make a career out food stemmed from my passion for eating good quality food and from the pleasure of bringing that to life for those around me. And if I'm lucky, this drive will keep me out of a "food rut" forever!

Traditional Hummus for Days of our Lives' Matt Cedeno

2010-09-14T09:56:00.000-04:00

Matt Cedeno's unfailing down to earth inner qualities have always brought an additional shine to his disarmingly stunning looks, and it's something People magazine recognized twice. People Magazine voted Matt Cedeno as one of the 50 most beautiful People in the World. Cedeno being of Cuban and Irish descent was also listed in People En Espanol Magazine has one of the 25 Hottest Latin Bachelors in the World.

When asked how he enjoys his hummus, Matt responds "with pita bread and wine, of course!"

Cedeno truly shined as a leading talent in the television movie, Romancing the Bride in which he starred as ‘Carlos' opposite Laura Prepon.

Cedeno also co-starred in two Independent films, Hoboken Hollow and Hot Tamale and successfully played a young boxer in the feature film Price of Glory (Jimmy Smitts plays the same character years later) He also appeared in the highly successful, The Suburbans with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ben Stiller.

Cedeno’s notable guest spots have been on prime time hit series such as Desperate Housewives, The Mentalist, Pysch, CSI Miami, That 70’s Show, Half and Half to name a few.

Three years in a row, Matt was nominated for an ALMA award as Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama for his work on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. He was the only actor from NBC Daytime to be nominated each consecutive year.

How a Star Nutritionist Eats Her Hummus

2010-08-09T16:59:00.000-04:00

We spent some time with one of our favorite nutritionist, Heidi Skolnik, and wanted to know her healthy approach to eating hummus.

Heidi is the Sports Nutrition Consultant to the The NY Knicks Basketball Team, The Juilliard School, School of American Ballet and Fordham University Athletics. She's also been the nutritionist for the New York Giant's for the past 18 years. Heidi is a contributing advisor to Men’s Health magazine and is co-author of “Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance; the right food, the right time, the right results” (Human Kinetics, 2010) and “The Reverse Diet: Lose Weight By Eating Dinner for Breakfast and Breakfast for Dinner” (Wiley, Jan. 2007).

Heidi says, "I love my hummus the traditional way - with crudite or tortilla chips (my new favorites being Food Should Taste Good Multigrain or Garden of Eatin Sesame Blues.) I also like to eat hummus with green tabbouleh and falafel. Yum!"

Enter to Win!

Tell us what you had for lunch today, and be entered to win Heidi's new book! There are three ways to enter:

Reply to Sabra's Facebook post about this contest with what you had for lunch.
Reply to this blog post with what you had for lunch.
Follow Sabra on Twitter and tweet @sabra and what you had for lunch.

The winner will be chosen at random on 8/11/2010 at 10am EST and announced on this blog.

Visit Heidi's website at www.nutritionconditioning.net.

Win a Subscription to The Six O'clock Scramble! Inspiring ideas for Quick and Healthy Dinners!

2010-08-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

This contest is over. Big congratulations to Rivka Howley, Janine Paulik and Graeme for winning a three month subcription to the Six O'Clock Scramble. Please email Sabra@seymourpr.com for prize confirmation and information.

Thanks for entering, and check back soon for more contests!

Our Taste Intervention competition is over and the entries are being tallied, but its not too late to get a jump on getting out of your food rut!

Thanks to one of our judges and good friend Aviva Goldfarb at www.thescramble.com, we’re giving away 3, three month subscriptions to The Six O’Clock Scramble, Aviva’s online dinner planning service.

As part of the subscription, winners will receive each week:

A weekly menu plan with five family-tested, healthy, delicious and quick dinner recipes that take 30 minutes or less to prepare
An organized grocery list so you can grocery shop just once per week
A searchable database where you can customize your weekly dinner plan
Your own personal recipe box where you can save your family's favorites 30 minute meals
A newsletter with useful tips for easier mealtimes, snacks and lunches
Nutritional information for each family dinner recipe to help you take charge of your health

5 Ways to Win!

(one entry for each)

Leave a comment here telling us your favorite Sabra flavor.
Follow Sabra on twitter and retweet a link to this post.
Like Sabra on Facebook, and leave us a comment with this post.
Like The Six O’clock Scramble on Facebook, and leave Aviva a comment letting her know we sent you.
Follow The Scramble on twitter and retweet this link.

The contest ends August 4 at 10pm est, at which time a winner will be chosen by random and notified via this blog. Good luck everyone!

Taste Intervention Judges Announced!

2010-07-27T11:28:00.001-04:00

We're excited to announce our judges for the Sabra Taste Intervention competition ending August 1.

Entries are pouring in and the task of determining who is most in need of expanding culinary horizons is no small job. That's why we invited some of the most talented food lovers we know to help us judge!

The Judges

Jennifer Lee - http://www.jennifer8lee.com/, @jenny8lee
Jennifer is a journalist and author who is focused on the future of news and information. She was the lead reviewer in the Knight News Challenge, a $25-million five-year initiative focused on news innovation. Previously she was a reporter for The New York Times, which she joined when she was 24. She is also author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, a bestselling book about how Chinese food is all-American. Extremely influential with over 13,000 twitter followers

Kimberly Vetrano – http://www.shescribes.com/, @She_Scribes
Kimberly is a mom, wife, business owner, freelance writer & photographer, blogger and mini-zoo keeper. She resides in the suburbs of New York City with her husband and two children.

Heidi Skolnik, M.S., C.D.N., FACSM – http://www.nutritionconditioning.net/
Heidi is the Sports Nutrition Consultant to the The NY Knicks Basketball Team, The Juilliard School, School of American Ballet and Fordham University Athletics. Heidi is a contributing advisor to Men’s Health magazine and is co-author of “Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance; the right food, the right time, the right results” (Human Kinetics, 2010) and “The Reverse Diet: Lose Weight By Eating Dinner for Breakfast and Breakfast for Dinner” (Wiley, Jan. 2007).

Stephanie Im - http://www.lickmyspoon.com/, @lickmyspoon
Stephanie left her marketing job on Wall Street to live the dream and become a food writer in SF. Her restaurant reviews and recipes have been featured in Bay Area Bites and Asian Week.

Bonnie Tandy Leblang http://www.biteofthebest.com/, @BonnieBOTB
Bonnie has been covering food and related products for more than a quarter century. She is currently a blogger on Bite of the Best - a taste of all things culinary and a syndicated food writer; she wrote the world's first daily syndicated food column, co-authored six cookbooks and has been a columnist in many magazines.

Aviva Goldfarb, http://www.thescramble.com/, @thescramble
Aviva is a mother of two and the author and founder of The Six O'Clock Scramble®, www.thescramble.com, an online weekly menu planner and cookbook (St. Martin's Press, 2006), and is author of the new cookbook, “SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Meals for Busy Families” (St. Martin’s Press, 2010).She is creator of the popular menu service called The Six O’Clock Scramble.

To enter visit . Nominations will be accepted on Sabra.com until Aug 1st.

This Savvy Auntie is not in a Food Rut

2010-07-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hey Aunties out there, Happy Auntie's Day (July 25th)! We thought we would help celebrate by sharing "the" Savvy Auntie's favorite way to enjoy hummus.

We asked Melanie Notkin, founder of www.SavvyAuntie.com, the first and only community for Aunts, how she eats her hummus.

"Mediterranean late lunch: @Sabra Hummus, grape leaves, aged provolone and rosemary flatbreads"

So if all of you aunts out there are looking to expand the culinary horizons of your neices and nephews, check out Sabra's 100 Hummus Inspirations for some kid friendly ideas!

Food Rut

2010-07-20T15:01:00.000-04:00

You know you’re in a “food rut” when you turn to the same foods for most of your meals everyday. Not only can this be unhealthy, but it’s also not very interesting. It’s usually not the kind of habit that helps you enjoy your meals or look forward to them in any way.

We’re all guilty of falling into a “food rut” at some point in time, whether we like to cook or not. Many of us find ourselves filling up our grocery cart with the same old stuff. Some of us don’t even go grocery shopping, but stop at the local deli to pick up a jar of peanut butter. I know many people in a “food rut,” who survive on peanut butter out of the jar, or simply order pizza every night for dinner. This can be good for a time, but after awhile, eating becomes a chore. This is no way to live! We should be excited by our meals! Here are some ideas for keeping us out of the potential “food rut”.

The best way to stay out of a “food rut” is to enjoy new flavors and tastes. Try traveling to new culinary destinations; places that offer new “taste experiences.” If you can’t travel far, but live in or nearby a big city, visit a new restaurant in a different neighborhood or try a new cuisine. If you live in a small town, order interesting spices and ingredients online. You can have most exotic ingredients sent to you directly, even when you live in a remote place. It’s all about being “Epicurious” which will keep you far away from a food rut. Whatever you do, if you make your next meal an adventure it will surely keep you out of a “food rut”.

I like to visit my favorite international market when I’m looking for new ideas. It’s called Kaluystian’s and they have every spice you could possibly dream of! Here I can discover a new spice or ingredient every time I visit. They have at least 30 varieties of chili pepper, five different types of cinnamon, at least 20 different kinds of honey and any type of rice or bean you could ever imagine. Find markets like this that will keep introducing you to new foods and keep you excited about the dishes you prepare and enjoy.

Another tip for keeping meals new and exciting is to let the seasons guide you. Throughout each month of the year, there are new vegetables and fruits at the market. This is Mother Nature’s way of saving us from a food rut, a hint at telling us to eat more variety and try new things. Make several different recipes with your new produce, and try to keep it fun- creating something different every time to enjoy each meal in a whole new way.

Maybe you don’t have time for exploration or travel. Just a moment spent flipping through cooking magazines will do the trick. Or when you’re at home or at work with some downtime, peruse cookbooks and food blogs to keep meal ideas new and interesting. Most local newspapers have a food section and introduce new recipes weekly. You can also check the Internet, and start visiting food blogs that you like. There are so many out there these days with great new ideas about the latest restaurants, food trends, culinary travel and recipes. This is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse and try new things.

In order to maintain a balanced diet, but also to really enjoy what we eat, variety is key. Luckily Sabra offers an outstanding selection when it comes to Hummus, just think of all of the choices-Roasted Red Pepper, Sun dried tomato and Supremely Spicy to name just a few. Hummus is such a versatile food, so find your own unique ways of enjoying it. I like to use it instead of tomato sauce on a pizza, or as a condiment on a burger, the perfect complement to a summer barbecue. You can find a whole lot of recipes on Sabra’s website (www.sabra.com). Don’t miss Facebook.com/sabra for an array of inspirations. There you'll find quick, easy and healthy convenient meals and snacks. Enjoy your culinary adventures and discoveries!

Billy Elliott Star, Ruby Rakos Talks Hummus

2010-07-13T16:48:00.000-04:00

Billy Elliott
Ballerina

Hi,

I'm Ruby Rakos!

I play Ballet Girl Tracey Atkinson in Billy Elliot on Broadway. Tracey loves to tap and she really loves to eat, just like me. She even tries to eat in dance class! One of my favorite foods is hummus.

My mom taught me how to make it at home with an old La Machine we got for a buck at a rummage sale. Sometimes I get some to go from Junior's after my show is over.
I like to eat hummus with whole wheat pita, tortilla chips, or my finger!

This past year we ballet girls got to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. We had to get up at 5 am and dance in the cold, but it was really fun! Did you see me?

I like singing even more than tap dancing (but not as much as eating!). Some Mondays I sing at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland. That's Charlie "Bird" Parker's jazz club in New York.

Here I am singing Sunny Side of the Street with Jim Caruso.

Love, Ruby

Learn more about Billy Elliott at www.billyelliotbroadway.com

The Sweet Chickpea

2010-06-22T09:38:00.000-04:00

When I meet someone who loves Hummus but doesn’t know what it’s made of, they often think it’s odd that a food so tasty is made of mostly chickpeas. Chickpeas are a remarkable food. Not only are they high in protein and fiber, making them a healthy part of your diet, but they’re extremely versatile.

You can puree them or use them whole, or you can eat them dried or roasted. Chickpeas can even be ground into flour and used in baking and other sweets.

There are several varieties too, even green and black ones. Chickpeas are cultivated all around the world, from the Mediterranean to Australia, Western Asia and India, and you can find them in many favorite dishes of different cultures.

Use them in dips, salads and stews - or use chickpea flour for baking. Sometimes I make a trail mix out of dried chickpeas and raisins.

Hummus is probably one of the most popular dishes made from chickpeas, but there are some other great uses for chickpeas used for hundreds of thousands of years in some cases. One of my other favorites, made from Chickpea flour, is Socca, a crepe specialty typically found in the French Mediterranean. Chickpeas are even used to make a fermented alcoholic beverage similar to Sake!

Lately I’ve been exploring more fun ways to use chickpeas in sweets. One of my most recent well-loved recipes is my Chocolate bark with dried chickpeas, golden raisins and dried figs. Here’s the recipe in case you want to try it! Enjoy…

Chickpea Chocolate Bark with Golden Raisins and Dried Figs

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:
2- (3.oz) bars of dark chocolate (I like Green and Black’s brand)
½ cup dried chickpeas
6 Tablespoons dried figs, thinly sliced
¼ cup golden raisins
1/8-teaspoon sea salt (I like Maldon sea salt)

Directions:
1. Rough chop the chocolate into small chunks and melt in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring occasionally being careful not to burn (about 5-8 minutes).
2. When the chocolate is thoroughly melted, using the back of a spatula, spread the chocolate in a thin layer evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle the chickpeas evenly, then the dried figs, golden raisins and sea salt.
4. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Break into smaller pieces and serve. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Epicurious

2010-05-20T14:22:00.000-04:00

Epicurious is a made-up word, from a blend of “epicure” and “curious”. Maybe one day, for everyone’s sake, it will make its way into the English dictionary. It’s a great word that can sum up a feeling, a way of life or a person’s character. The real question is, how to be Epicurious?

In my experience, the Mediterranean culture is the epitome of Epicurious. Good quality food is a priority. And it’s not just about the food, it’s about the sensory experience of enjoying a meal with loved ones in the ideal setting.

An “Epicure” is a person who develops a discerning taste for the enjoyment of good food and drink. Sometimes you’ll hear a person referred to as a “gourmet” or a “foodie” someone who seeks out culinary adventures.

This is also a person devoted to sensual pleasures. The experience of enjoying food is a sensory experience; it’s not just the taste, but it’s the smell and the appearance and even the sounds you hear as you’re enjoying your meal.

The best thing about being an Epicure is that you don’t have to be limited by budget or location. You can be an Epicure close to home or when you’re traveling. If you’re traveling on a budget, you can find some of the best eats at small, hole in the wall mom and popshops, or local markets that are usually very affordable. Of course you can also treat yourself to fine dining experience that inspire you inner Epicurean, but it’s not always necessary. Some of my most interesting culinary adventures have been under 10.00. You want to look beyond the surfaces too. When I was traveling in Israel, some of the best hummus joints were hidden in small little stalls at the markets. They were discreet little places but you could always tell how good they were, before even tasting the food, from the lines out the door.

Here are some tips for finding your inner Epicure:

Talk to people familiar with your destination. One of my favorite ways to learn about a new place when I’m traveling is to schedule my itinerary around my meals. Usually I do this by asking around before I leave. In my experience I’ve found out about the best culinary experiences from locals or friends who have spent a good amount of time in the particular city or town I am visiting. Ask your friends where they like to go.
Read as much as you can about the place you are visiting. Check your favorite websites and city guides. I have found some great places through my favorite blogs and local newspapers. I always check the New York Times travel and food archives before I leave for my trip.
Seek out local farmer’s markets. Usually you will find local farmers and food artisans at the market that will give you an interesting perspective on the local food scene. Often times you can ask at the market about other local food highlights.
Have an open mind. When you have arrived to your destination try to be open to new places that you haven’t previously heard about. Walking is a great way to stumble upon little culinary gems that may have been otherwise overlooked. I always keep an eye out for local specialty food shops and bakeries. Usually if you see locals eating in a place, you know the quality is top notch. I always try things once, if you don’t like it, you know what you’re missing and you don’t need to try it again. If you’re at a noteworthy destination, you’ll probably like just about anything you try.
Trust your inner Epicure. When you stumble on a great place you’ll usually know it. There are several contributing factors.(list factors) Trust the sensory experience. What does the place smell like? What is the atmosphere like? How does it feel? You will get better at trusting your intuition with experience but tune into your awareness and you’ll find some great places.

Discover the Versatility of Hummus

2010-05-10T18:39:00.001-04:00

Hummus is traditionally eaten as a dip: something to “dip” or “swoop” with a wedge of pita bread.

But when it comes to Hummus, I like to let creativity run wild. It’s an incredibly versatile food that can be used not only as a dip, but also as a spread or condiment - instead of cheese - or as center stage to a healthy meal.

I’ve created a lot of recipes to share with you on the website so that you can use Hummus in new and exciting ways in your meals. Some of these recipes are excellent for quick entertaining. Others are the perfect snack or meal on the go. Or, you can enjoy them simply as a part of your everyday meals. Discover the never-ending possibilities of Hummus for yourself and enjoy good food with your friends and family.

One of my favorite ways to use Hummus is as a condiment. Rather than using mayonnaise or ketchup, try hummus! Sabra now has smaller serving packs available in stores nationwide, so enjoying hummus on the go is so much easier now. Try Sabra Hummus instead of mayonnaise in a chicken salad, perfect for a picnic or a portable meal. You can spread it on sandwich bread, or offer it on the menu at your next barbecue. Why not slather your burger with some Sabra Hummus?

In some of my recipes you’ll see I like to consider Hummus as a great cheese alternative. It has that creamy, rich consistency of cheese. And, for those with dairy intolerance, it’s the perfect go-to substitute. Check out my recipe for Hummus Raviolis with Red Pepper Coulis. In this recipe, instead of stuffing the raviolis with cheese, I use my favorite Sabra Hummus variety. When you sauté these raviolis, the outside layer gets crispy and the inside is warm and creamy. Serve these as an elegant finger food for your next party.

For the purist, Hummus will always be a dip. Even when entertaining, I like to keep it healthy and fresh, so I serve Hummus in the middle of a large crudités platter. I get all of my favorite veggies and arrange them on a decorative dish. This is so simple, yet so festive for any gathering and it’s super easy to put together in a pinch. No need to limit yourself to carrots and pita for dipping either. Hummus is a great dip for Chicken, Veggie and Beef skewers.

What are your favorite ways of eating Sabra Hummus? I would love to hear from you. What do you like to do with Sabra Hummus? Send me your recipes at Chef@sabra.com. You and your recipes may even be featured on the Sabra website. I’m always coming up with new ideas and recipes using Hummus, so stay tuned!

Holiday Wish List and Gift Giving Guide from the Mediterranean

2009-12-21T12:57:00.001-05:00

What’s on your wish list this year besides a lifetime supply of Sabra Hummus? You’ve got some recipes so you can include a taste of the Mediterranean.

During the holiday season I also turn to Mediterranean themed gifts. You really can’t go wrong whether you opt for something edible, like an artisinal olive oil, or a candle’s scent that transports you to the Mediterranean. Here are some ideas your family, friends and co-workers alike are sure to enjoy. To make it easy, I’ve attached links so that you can order everything on line.

Dipalo’s
This is one of my favorite local Italian specialty shops in NYC. They recently started an online mail order so you can enjoy their foodstuffs from afar. Some of my favorite Italian olive oils can be found here such as Fattoria Il Peracio from Florence. They have a great selection of products from all over Italy.

Zingerman’s Mail Order
For a Mediterranean culinary experience, Zingerman’s is a very useful mail order service, both for pantry essentials and the gift-giving season. They have a great variety of Mediterranean products that you can browse through.

Farmer’s Market Candles
This is one of my favorite and affordable aromatic candle companies that I first discovered at the Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles. I've been ordering the candles ever since and they make perfect gifts. Choose varieties like Cedar Ambergris, a classic combo of sea and earth aromas, or Fig Rose Black Pepper and you will be immediately transported to the Mediterranean.

Turkish Pashmina
These wonderful scarves are perfect for a breezy Mediterranean evening, but equally as nice to cozy up in front of the fire or simply used as a scarf when you go out.

Mediterranean Cookbooks

Diane Henry’s Crazy Water Pickled Lemons is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. The recipes cover the entire Mediterranean from east to west. Recipes like Yogurt and Walnut Cake with Coffee Syrup or Spiced Chicken on Melting Onions with Preserved Lemon will complete any Mediterranean feast.

Paula Wolferts books make great gifts, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking is great for the colder months.

Anissa Helou’s Mediterranean Street Food is a great gift too!

Adding delicious, healthy Mediterranean flair to your holiday meals.

2009-11-18T10:55:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is approaching and it’s time to think about what we’re going to make for dinner and what recipes we’ll be using this year. Growing up, it was always tradition to cook the same thing every year, except for one dish we’d introduce for fun. This way we could try out something new without anyone missing out on their favorite dish. I love adding Mediterranean flavors to my Thanksgiving Table. The flavors are so versatile and the results are always delicious.

Here are some suggestions for how you can incorporate a little Mediterranean flavor and spice up your Thanksgiving holiday. Use Sabra products like Sautéed Mediterranean Vegetables and hummus to take shortcuts on your meal preparation, or incorporate traditional Mediterranean ingredients to enhance your favorite staples like Mashed potatoes with Hummus instead of butter (you’ll find the recipe on www.sabra.com), or add Pomegranate molasses to your cranberry sauce. Here’s to a more flavorful and healthier holiday with friends and family!

Sabra Sautéed Mediterranean Vegetables or Hummus as a quick appetizer- Serve Mediterranean Vegetable bruschetta as an appetizer by topping sliced bread with Sabra Sautéed Mediterranean Vegetables or a dollop of hummus. Or make Hummus raviolis as an elegant starter to the meal. You can find these recipes on www.sabra.com.

Mediterranean herbs - Add fennel, coriander, rosemary, sage and thyme to your turkey gravy…or simply roast vegetables using these fresh Mediterranean herbs.

Olive oil instead of butter - Swap out butter for olive oil in dishes like mashed potatoes or stuffing.

Sabra hummus - Instead of butter or cheese use hummus. It’s perfect in your mashed potatoes for a rich consistency and creamy flavor. Sabra also is a great choice for making a traditional dish healthier by replacing the heavy creams or butter usually used. Sabra Hummus and Babaganoush is great as an appetizer with your favorite vegetables or with fun and delicious recipes on the site.

Whole Grains – Bring whole grains into your everyday meals. Try farro, a Mediterranean whole-wheat grain, instead of rice. You can also use whole wheat bread in your stuffing instead of white. Whole grains will give the dishes a nice nutty flavor and will leave you feeling satisfied longer.

Use Pomegranates - Pomegranate is a popular Mediterranean fruit and high in antioxidants. Add a fresh and healthy twist to salads by adding the seeds. Pomegranate molasses, which is made by reducing pomegranate juice, is delicious in your cranberry sauce or in a sauce for desserts such as poached pears or drizzled on ice cream.

Filo Dough - Instead of rolling out your own pastry, try filo. The ever-popular Mediterranean paper-thin pastry dough (most commonly used in Baklava) can be used as a crust for your favorite pumpkin pie filling or as the crust for a quick apple tart.

Eating Out Mediterranean in NYC

2009-11-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

If you want to go out to eat and explore a little more Mediterranean flavor, there are some great spots in New York City, very close to where Sabra is made.

Over the years, I’ve eaten my way through the Mediterranean. From the hummus joints in Israel, street food in Turkey and seaside fisheries in Greece, France, Italy and Spain. Although the views of the sea are incomparable, the Mediterranean food I’ve found in NYC is on par with some of the world’s best and most authentic. New York City is, after all, home to some of the greatest restaurants in the world. Whether you’re visiting from afar or live in NYC, here are some of my favorites I’d like to share with you. I’ve included a range of restaurants that represent the entire Mediterranean, spanning from the east to the west.

Café Mogador-101 St Mark’s Place NYC
This is a neighborhood favorite with a café like atmosphere. They serve delicious “Mezzes” or small plates (including hummus) for sharing, including Spicy Carrots, Marinated Beets and Babaganoush to name a few. This is hands down one of my favorite brunch spots in the entire city where you can enjoy you’re your eggs with hummus and harissa. Harissa, the beloved homemade Mediterranean spicy sauce, is automatically brought to your table without even asking. They have daily dinner specials featuring the freshest fish dishes like whole grilled sardines and tagines.

Taim-222 Waverly Place NYC
This is a tiny eatery in the west village where people pour onto the street. There are benches out front where you can eat your Sabich Platter (sautéed eggplant) always served with an array of fresh salads. Don’t miss their trio of falafel sampler served with schug and tahini. They also have refreshing smoothies, I recommend the banana, date and lime. And for dessert, some of the finest baklava and walnut rolls.

Milos-125 W. 55th NYC
This is about as fresh as fish gets outside of the Mediterranean. Go to the back and pick out the whole fish just like you do when you’re in Greece. I love the grilled tuna with almond sauce.

Il Buco-47 Bond Street NYC
This is Italian with a perfect touch of Spanish influence. Years ago, the restaurant started as an antique shop. I love how devoted they are to using the highest quality local and seasonal ingredients. Try to reserve a table in the wine cellar, it’s a super cozy atmosphere to share with friends, family or a special date.

Taste The Mediterranean Without Leaving Home

2009-10-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

I was recently eating my way through the French Mediterranean, A.K.A, the Cote D’Azur (or French Riviera). Mostly I was enjoying fresh fish and vegetables in the sun, by the sea. This is the experience all along the Mediterranean, no matter where you visit. Of course each country has it’s own regional dishes. But whether you’re in Italy, Greece or France, or any of the other Mediterranean countries, considering the proximity to the sea, fresh fish is always on the menu. You will always find the purest ingredients straight from the source.

For a quick and easy fish dish any night of the week try my “Fish En Papillote” recipe. "En Papillote" means parchment in French. In the Mediterranean, fish is typically cooked with few ingredients- usually olive oil, an acid such as lemon juice or wine, and fresh herbs. Traditionally you can use any number of cooking methods, like grilling, steaming or poaching to enhance the delicate flavor of the fish.

Here is a recipe using a classic French method. The fish is sealed in a parcel of parchment paper and then cooked in the oven. It’s is a great way to get good flavor because the fish steams in the sealed juices. Not only is it easy, but also it's a great presentation because everyone gets their own special package and you can impress your friends and family.

Try going to your local fishmonger and asking for the catch of the day. Enjoy a little Mediterranean flair without leaving home!

Fish En Papillote

Serves 4

4 (7oz) Boneless-skinless fish filets (such as Sole, Striped Bass or Salmon)
¼ cup Fresh lemon juice or white wine about 2-3
¼ cup Olive oil,
½ cup Fresh herbs finely chopped (Tarragon, rosemary, thyme and/or parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste

4 pieces parchment paper (about 15 inches folded), cut into heart shapes.

1. Open one piece of parchment and place fish filet near the fold. Salt and pepper the fish filet on both sides. (Place it on the inside so you can fold it back over).

2. Then add your fresh herbs on top to cover. Drizzle overtop 1 Tablespoon each of lemon juice (or white wine) and olive oil. Cover the filet with about 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs.

3. Then close it up. Beginning with the rounded edge, start creasing and folding all around the side so there are no gaps and the package is sealed. Finish it off by twisting the last pointed part at the bottom and tucking it under.

4. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The parchment will puff up when it is cooked. Serve warm in parchment.
Why not start off with your favorite Sabra hummus recipe like, Hummus Raviolis, followed by this dish for a special, everyday meal you can share with friends and family.

The Mediterranean Diet

2009-09-18T13:10:00.000-04:00

The Mediterranean diet is one of my favorite guidelines for eating. It’s full of flavor, delicious, and satisfying. There’s no compromise on taste like most diets. This is in a large part because of the fresh, high quality ingredients and enjoyable, active lifestyle the Mediterranean diet embraces. It’s not a fad that will go in and out of style, but a timeless way of eating that has been around for hundreds of years. Many studies have been done that show its timeless benefits.

The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy oils, such as the infamous extra virgin olive oil, fresh seasonal vegetables, fresh fish and lean proteins, beans and whole grains as well as fresh herbs. You’ll never find heavy sauces or unnecessary loads of butter. Just the right amount of seasoning to bring out the naturally delicious fresh food.

Here are some of the key players that are considered “super foods” because of their high phyto-nutrient makeup. These are considered foods known to improve your health and overall quality of life. The following are a number of super foods found in the Mediterranean diet.

Beans- a great source of soluble fiber, iron and protein. My favorite is the chickpea. Chickpeas have a buttery texture and are highly versatile. They’re commonly used in falafel, salads and stews. They’re one of the main ingredients in hummus, making it a healthy option when looking for a snack, or enjoyed as the star of any meal. To find out how to use hummus in so many different ways, check out my recipes on the website.

Whole Grains- Rich in protein, vitamins, healthy fats and nutrients. These can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and hypertension. Commonly used are whole grains like cracked wheat or bulgur, faro and wheat berries. These are unsung heroes, delicious in soups and salads too!

Fresh Vegetables- Generally, the richer the color, the higher the content of nutrients. Adding more vegetables to your diet can improve your health but also help you maintain a healthy weight.

Olive Oil- This healthy oil has a high concentration of mono-saturated fats, which has been linked to reducing the risk of heart disease.

Nuts and Seeds- These are high in mono-saturated fats also, and eaten in moderation they too can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Pomegranate- This fruit has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants than any other fruit. It is also known to reduce cholesterol and can help prevent heart disease. In the fall you can find fresh pomegranate juice stands in different Mediterranean villages and cities.

Garlic- This food is considered nature’s antibiotic as well as being a great way to enhance flavor in your favorite dishes.

Fortunately, as you can see, the Mediterranean diet is all about delicious food, enjoyed with friends and family that happens to good for you too! Enjoy!

Hummus Raviolis

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Hummus Raviolis

Serves 4 as an appetizer
12 wonton wrappers
4 Tablespoons Hummus
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Zatar and Sea Salt to taste

Lay out a large baking sheet with parchment.
Place the wontons on the baking sheet and dollop 1 teaspoon of hummus in the center of each square.
Fill a bowl with ¼ cup water. Wet your finger with water and use to trace half the edge of the wonton square. Fold in half and seal, pressing both sides firmly together.
In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat warm 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
Sauté raviolis on both sides until crisp. Cool on drying rack.
Sprinkle Zatar and sea salt on both sides, dip in Red Pepper coulis and enjoy!

Perfect with Red Pepper Couli

Red Pepper Coulis

Recipe by Colombe Jacobsen

Makes ½ cup for dipping
1 red pepper more for rubbing the pepper
a few glugs of olive oil
1 pinch cayenne pepper
sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven at 350.

Cut out the inside cavity of the red pepper and rub with olive oil. Season with salt.
Roast pepper until slightly charred on the outside. (About 30 minutes)
Place in a bowl and seal tightly with saran wrap in order to steam.
Remove the skin and blend in a blender to a smooth consistency with a few glugs of olive oil, cayenne pepper and sprinkling of sea salt and ground pepper. Reserve and use for ravioli dip.

Welcome to the Sabra Chef Blog!

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Welcome to the Sabra Chef Blog, where you can read about all things Mediterranean with a special angle, of course, on my love for Hummus. I will be sharing with you my thoughts, experiences and ideas about Mediterranean cooking, dining, travel and culture. You will also get updates on the latest Sabra news and events.

Last Sunday, Sabra transformed Union Square Park into a Mediterranean village. This marked the end of a national Sabra Mediterranean Village Tour. It was a sunny fun filled day that took everyone back to a coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea. The only thing missing was a swim in the beautiful clear water. Sabra recreated the classic architecture of the ancient Mediterranean by building stonewalls. Vegetables were displayed to evoke the fresh produce markets commonly found in these regions. There were comfortable café tables and chairs set up right in the center of the park, with umbrellas for shade. It made Union Square a relaxing place to enjoy good company and eat delicious Sabra Hummus.

Not only was there great food, but also great entertainment. Some of the fun included live music and belly dancers. I was there showing some of my favorite recipes using Hummus. Some of my featured recipes were Grilled Vegetable Hummus Pizza, using hummus instead of cheese, Chicken Salad, I use Hummus instead of Mayonnaise, and Cucumber Cups, elegant finger foods perfect for entertaining with Hummus. In these recipes you can see how truly versatile hummus can be. Not just as a dip, but as a spread or condiment. It can be used as a main course or elegant appetizer. You can find these recipes and more on the website. If you’re looking for a new recipe, give them a try at home.

Many of you devoted Sabra fans stopped by to enjoy a preview of Sabra’s newest fresh dips. These Fresh dips are yogurt based, so they’re lighter than other sour cream options, with exciting flavors like Tzatziki, Spicy Pepper and Onion. Coming to stores soon. Thanks for joining me and stay tuned for more entries soon.

~Colombe

Meet Sabra Chef Colombe Jacobsen

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Colombe is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, where she developed her understanding of the correlation between the food we eat and its effect on the body and mind. With a culinary perspective focused on high quality, fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients, she has always favored Mediterranean cuisine. This has inspired her extensive travel to the traditional coastal cities of France, Spain, and Italy, the vibrant souks of Morocco, and the rustic villages of Turkey. Along the way, she has been influenced by the Mediterranean’s varied offerings of authentic flavors, local produce, and traditional cooking techniques.

Colombe recently appeared on the Food Network in season 3 of “The Next Food Network Star”; she is best remembered for her creatively healthy approach to everyday meals. Named in 2007 as one of Shape Magazines “Woman who Shape the World”, Colombe also coordinates Harvest Time, a non-profit in Harlem that teaches children nutritious, yet practical cooking techniques and recipes.

With her assortment of quick and easy tips that embrace healthy oils, exotic spices, fresh meats and fish, and a rainbow of vegetables, Colombe will show you how to maintain a “casually healthy” and fun lifestyle in the face of a days challenging eating decisions.