It’s been awhile since I featured a quick and easy meal (see: hamburgers/veggie burgers, bratwursts/Field Roast, taco salads …) – so I thought it was time I shared another favorite easy dinner for our mixed carnivore/vegetarian household.
Meze is essentially a variety of Middle Eastern appetizers – several items served up small-plate style. Ours generally include veggies, pitas, hummus, olives, and a variety of other Mediterranean goodies.
We find meze platters the perfect dinner around here because it’s super easy to pick and choose your food. The carnivores grab some meat, the vegetarian (me) does not. And then the vegetarian (me) grabs extra olives. Because: olives!
Meze platters make a terrific party spread, too, especially when you’re going to be serving folks with a variety of dietary preferences or restrictions.
Another thing I like about them? You can buy everything at the store! As much as I love making stuff from scratch, it’s not always realistic. Meze platters can be as easy as visiting the olive bar and deli section at your local grocery store, then getting home, opening a few containers, and slicing up a few things. No cooking, no massive prep. Easy, delicious.
To make your own platter, just mix and match foods to your liking. Here are some ideas to get you started. This is by no means a complete list, by the way – nor is it faithful to any particular cuisine’s version of meze. It’s just a bunch of good stuff, that together makes a great – and easy – dinner!
Serve with your favorite wine or some ouzo and you’re good to go for an easy One Dish, Two Ways dinner!
Mix and match small plates of veggies, dips, cheeses, and other appetizers for the perfect easy dinner that’s sure to suit a variety of diets at once.
Choose one or two items from two or three categories:
Breads
Veggies
Dips & spreads
Salads
Cheeses
Meats
Other goodies
Choose a few items from the list above and add to bowls, plates, and platters. Serve with beverages of choice.