Snicky-Snacks
I know most of the attention is on the big meal right now, but between now and the end of the year there will be a lot of between meal eating. Although we may get everyone together at dinner, the other meals can be harder to coordinate, so I try to have what we always called “snicky-snacks” on hand. jump to recipe
It was a phrase used by my grandmother, who also referred to her grandchildren as “Kidder-katters.” I inherited her party genes, and her delight in feeding, although she wasn’t actually much of a cook. Her annual Christmas party was the real deal, and always ended with her playing songs on the piano, by ear, as everyone sang along.
Because of general overeating at year’s end, I try to make my snicky-snacks as nutritious as possible. With wholesome tidbits on hand I can temper eating season a skosh, both by interspersing goodness, but also as a way to not overindulge as a guest. If you have a decent snicky-snack before you head out, you won’t turn up at the party famished. The bad combo of a grumbling tummy and a fantastic spread can instantly dissolve the best intentions.
I made hummus in several classes this week. I love the stuff, and make it often, but was recently reminded of roasted chickpeas, a favorite Spanish tapa I hadn’t made for a while. Like hummus, it can be seasoned with any number of other herbs and spices, to jazz them up, and I made two different batches. One with garlic and chile powders, the other with cumin and coriander – both were tasty and took all of about 2 minutes of prep time. In Spain you eat them with a toothpick, which is another trick to not over eating.
I had been hearing about, but yet to try, a plant based version of tuna salad that gets raves. With chickpeas on my mind, and the excuse of sharing some snicky-snacks here, I finally whipped up a batch. Lemme tell you, this stuff is yummy. I decided to call it “Mock Tuna Salad” because growing up the boxes of Ritz crackers had a recipe for “Mock Apple Pie” on them that I didn’t understand. My mother explained that it was a depression era recipe and that at the time apples were scarce. I didn’t understand why you could get crackers and not apples, but the notion of “mock” always stuck with me.
The idea is to doctor the chickpeas about the same way as tuna salad, but add what you like. If you don’t like relish, leave it out. The dill makes a nice addition, but you could use another herb if you like. This can be made in a food processor by pulsing the chickpeas, but don’t over-process or you’ll just end up with hummus.
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and mashed
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp. dill
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients well, then taste and adjust to your preference. Serve with crackers or on two slices of bread with lettuce and tomato – yum, yum!
Notes
The idea is to doctor the chickpeas about the same way as tuna salad, but add what you like. If you don’t like relish, leave it out. The dill makes a nice addition, but you could use another herb if you like. This can be made in a food processor by pulsing the chickpeas, but don’t over-process or you’ll just end up with hummus.
