hot hummus salad

2 red or yellow bell peppers (or one of each)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 T minced or pressed garlic
1 t olive oil
2 lbs ground lean beef
1/2 c chopped pitted clamata olives
1/2 c minced parsley
1 t dried oregano
2 T lemon pepper
2 c purchased hummus
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
2 firm-ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored, seeded, and
chopped
1/2 c chopped cucumber
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions (including tops)
8 pocket breads, halved cross-wise
Lemon wedges
salt

1. Rinse peppers; trim and discard stems, seeds, and veins. Chop peppers.

2. In a 12-inch nonstick frying pan or 5-6 qt. pan
   over high heat, combine bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oil. Stir often until vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

3. Add beef; stir, breaking apart, until meat is crumbled and browned, about 15
   minutes. Drain extra fat from pan, if necessary.

4. Add olives, parsley, oregano, lemon pepper,
   and hummus. Stir just until mixture is hot, 2-3 minutes longer.

5. Spoon mixture onto a wide platter; top with feta cheese. Arrange tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions around meat mixture, and garnish with lemon wedges.

6. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature by spooning meat mixture and vegetables equally into pocket bread halves; squeeze lemon wedges over filling and add salt to taste.

Serves 8.
Original Source: Sunset Magazine "Best Recipes"

A "hot hummus salad" with 2 lbs of ground beef might sound a little weird, but the final result is incredibly delicious and makes a stunning main platter once all of the ingredients are assembled. The colors of the lemons, feta, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, green onions and olives will cause your guests to ooo and ahhh before they even take their first bite.

If you have fewer than 8 guests over for dinner, don't bother halving the recipe -- the leftover salad can be easily refridgerated for 1-2 days and makes a great snack, either reheated or just straight out of the fridge.