When you're looking for a quick and healthy snack to tide you over between meals, consider this rice cake and hummus combo.  It's an open-faced sandwich or mini-pizza of sorts, topped with fresh vegetables.

You're probably familiar with all the varieties of hummus at Trader Joe's - there are so many to choose from.  If you want to try making your own hummus, click here for our easy recipe.  Bonus tip: when I buy tahini sauce, a key ingredient in homemade hummus, I scoop out spoonfuls onto a tray and freeze, since I can never use up a container right away.  I store the frozen pellets in a Ziploc bag, and whenever I make a batch of hummus, I have dollops of tahini sauce ready to go.

I happened to have crisp Persian cucumbers and homegrown tomatoes on hand, so that's what I used to top these rice cakes.  I'm also eager to try avocados, shredded carrots, or roasted peppers.  For extra protein, you could top with a slice of cheddar cheese or, for a Mediterranean theme, feta cheese and olives.

I used brown rice cakes (shelved next to chips and pretzels at my Trader Joe's store); I usually buy brown because no one in our family seems to tell the difference between brown vs. white rice cakes.  (It's an entirely different story with steamed brown vs. white rice — if you ever see my family feverishly wolfing down white rice at an Asian restaurant, it's because they're so white-rice-deprived at home ever since my crusade to eat more fiber and nutrient-rich brown rice.)  These brown rice cakes are crisp, slightly salting, and just as satisfying as the white ones.

I hope you enjoy this snack idea!  Just be sure not to let the assembled rice cakes sit for too long, or they'll get soggy from the hummus.  They're best eaten right away.

Rice Cakes with Hummus

Per serving:
1 brown or white rice cake
3 Tbsp hummus, any flavor
1 handful microgreens or salad mix
Sliced cucumber, tomato, avocado, or other vegetable

1. Spread rice cake evenly with hummus.
2. Top with microgreens and your choice of vegetables.