Pairing platters are great ways to provide food for entertaining, as they are easy to put together, look beautiful, and give people plenty of options for a “grazing” style gathering. Plus this (summer) is the season for the best and most bountiful seasonal produce for the most gorgeous healthy pairing platter. We hit our local farmers’ market in Edmond, OK, for grass fed dairy and fresh veggies. Of course, some pairing platters are healthier than others, and this one is ultra healthy without being boring or “in your face” about healthy choices. We at 90/10 Nutrition firmly believe that just because you have friends over doesn’t mean you can’t eat great too!
The options with a pairing platter are endless, so we’ve just jotted down some ideas here to make it easy to add to the online meal planner and generate the shopping list. Also, to that end, we’ve replicated our Easy Hummus recipe and our Whipped Feta Dip recipe right here on this page–no linking back and forth to find multiple recipes! But if you want either of those recipes on their own, just click the linked text above!
Ingredients
Platter
- 1 lb grapes red, green, black, or a variety
- 1 cup 100% whole grain crackers such as Back To Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 1 cup sugar snap pea pods fresh; frozen won't work here
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese cubed (or any firm cheese)
- 8 oz cheese curds
- 1/2 each english cucumber sliced
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup grape tomatoes
- 8 each fresh mozzarella snack size
Whipped Feta Dip
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic
- 8 oz feta cheese cow's milk variety
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp pine nuts optional, for garnish
Easy Hummus Recipe
- 1/4 cup tahini paste
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp bottled minced garlic
- 1 can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Platter
- Arrange all ingredients, plus small containers of both dips, on a large platter or cutting board. Try to make it less "symmetrical," as asymmetric is more pleasing to the eye. Putting contrasting colors next to each other is also striking and appealing. Don't be afraid to make it messy.
Whipped Feta Dip
- Combine lemon juice and garlic. Set aside.
- Rinse and drain feta.
- Add feta, reserved lemon juice mixture, and yogurt to a food processor. Process until grainy, about 20 seconds. With processor running, drizzle 2 T. olive oil into the feta mixture. Continue to process about 2 more minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Add basil and pulse to combine.
- To serve immediately, drizzle with additional oil and top with pine nuts (if desired). Garnish with additional fresh basil, if desired.
Easy Hummus
- Make sure your tahini is mixed well so that the oil is not separated. It should be smooth and uniform.
- Add the tahini and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and process for at least 1 minute. It should begin to thicken and form a bit of a paste. You may need to stop and scrape the sides with a baking spatula and then continue.
- Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and half the garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained). Process for a full minute or longer.
- Add the rest of the beans and process until smooth.
Notes
fresh apple slices (soak in lemon or lime or pineapple juice before serving, to retard oxidation)
mandarin orange segments
fresh cherries
fresh peach or nectarine wedges
kohl rhabi
jicama Fresh, raw nuts would also be a welcome addition on any pairing platter.
Pin this healthy pairing platter idea to your favorite boards. Use the pin button on the image below (hover to see it on desktop). This would go great on clean eating boards, snack boards, lunch boards, and more.
I actually made this very one, the one in the pictures, when Ryan came to Oklahoma to visit me and discuss the future of 90/10 Nutrition. (No, wine still isn’t being moved to the green tier, but I’m still working on him!) We enjoyed this like crazy even though it was just the two of us. We had it as a main dish, but of course it works as a snack or appetizer as well.
One thing I love about pairing platters is there is almost no prep. A little bit of blending/food processing if you’re making your own hummus and Whipped Feta Dip, and maybe a tiny bit of slicing, but for the most part, it’s just assembly with this healthy pairing platter.
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