Your Spring Picnic Menu Needs Veggie Blend

Bold veggie blend is the perfect add-on to a spring picnic menu.  

• This spring, as you pack up baskets of delicious food, make sure to include meals that are enhanced by bold veggie blend. 
• Try our best spring picnic recipes, like grilled veggie wraps, hummus, and roasted chickpeas. 
• Simple meals like these are fast and easy to prepare. 

Enjoy the bold flavors of West Africa on your next outing! 

Enjoy our Simple and Tasty Recipe Blog.

It’s picnic season! This spring, as you pack up baskets of delicious food, make sure to include meals that are enhanced by bold veggie blend. The mixed vegetable seasoning is a perfect addition to the menu, offering a spicy kick to foods like grilled veggie wraps or hummus. This blog post features recipes for both of these, as well as roasted chickpeas. 

Grilled Veggie Wraps  

Prep Time: 15 minutes  

Cook Time: 10 minutes   

Total Time: 25 minutes  

Servings: 4 wraps  

Ingredients  

• 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced  
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced  
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin slices  
• olive oil  
• ½ tsbs Veggie Blend  
• ½ cup hummus  
• ¼ cup black olives, sliced  
• ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled, optional  
• ½ head of romaine lettuce, other leafy greens work as well!  
• 4 large tortilla wraps  

Instructions    

1. Pre-heat the grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat.  
2. If you haven’t already done so, cut your veggies. Rub/ toss the veggies with oil, Veggie blend, salt and pepper.  
3. Place the veggies on the grill and grill for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Cook until the veggies are lightly charred. Remove from the heat.  
4. Optional: grill the wraps at the end for about 1 minute per side.  
5. Assemble the wraps by placing the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the hummus evenly among the tortillas and spread out. Top with the lettuce, olives and feta and then divide the grilled veggies among the 4 wraps. Wrap up tightly and enjoy!  

Recipe adapted from Food with Feeling.  

Hummus  

Prep Time: 10 minutes  
Total Time: 10 minutes  
Servings: 6  

Ingredients  

• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained or 1 ½ cups (250g) cooked chickpeas  
• ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 large lemon  
• ¼ cup (60ml) well-stirred tahini, try our homemade tahini recipe  
• 1 small garlic clove, minced  
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving  
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin  
• ¼ tsbs Veggie blend  
• Salt to taste  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water or aquafaba  
• Dash ground paprika, sumac, or Za’atar for serving  

Instructions    

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.  
2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, Veggie blend, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.  
3. Drain the chickpeas. Then add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.  
4. The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water or aquafaba with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency.  
5. Taste and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or Za’atar.  
6. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.  

Recipe adapted from Inspired Taste.  

Roasted Chickpeas    

Prep Time: 5minutes  
Cook Time: 20minutes  
Total Time: 25minutes  
Servings: 1 1/2 cups    

Ingredients    

• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed  
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling  
• ¼ tsbs Veggie blend  
• Sea salt  
• Paprika, curry powder, or other spices, optional  

Instructions  

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  
2. Spread the chickpeas on a kitchen towel and pat them dry. Remove any loose skins.  
3. Transfer the dried chickpeas to the baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and generous pinches of salt.  
4. Roast the chickpeas for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Ovens can vary, if your chickpeas are not crispy enough, keep going until they are!  
5. Remove from the oven and, while the chickpeas are still warm, toss with pinches of paprika, curry powder, Veggies blend, or other spices, if using.  
6. Store roasted chickpeas in a loosely-covered container at room temperature. They are best used within two days.  

Recipe adapted from Love & Lemons.  

Conclusion 

Grilled veggie wraps, hummus, and roasted chickpeas are a great fit for picnics because they’re delicious and easy to transport. They’re also quick to prepare—all under a half an hour. So next time you’re planning a picnic, plan on simple meals like these. Veggie blend is available for all your spring picnics at our online spices store. Enjoy the bold flavors of West Africa on your next outing!