Thursday, January 28, 2010

simply tasty: hummus among us

mmm... hummus.

quite possibly my most favorite snack.  delicious with pita chips, baby carrots, celery sticks, tortilla chips or spread on a sandwich. not only is it delicious, but also healthy: full of protein, fiber and healthy fats.


the problem with hummus is that they waaaaaaaaaaay over charge for it at the store.  like, 4 bucks for a tiny little 6 oz tub... i can easily finish one of those in a single sitting!  there is nothing expensive in hummus- its mostly made of beans which are one of the cheapest foods on the planet.


that is why i discovered how to make it homemade.  and i have continued to made it because it literally takes about 3 minutes to make- throw it all in the food processor and push "on"! since i started making it at home i have never bought it prepared. 


one thing that scares people away from making homemade hummus is the one strange sounding ingredient- "tahini". tahini is ground sesame seeds... basically like peanut butter, but sesame seeds.  these days, most regular grocery stores carry tahini (check either next to the peanut butter or in the middle eastern food section), but you will most likely get the best price at a specialty mediterranean or middle eastern food store.  buying a jar of it is a good investment because you will make 15 or more batches of hummus from each jar, and it will be fine sitting on your shelf for years.


hummus

1 can garbanzo beans (or 2 cups home cooked garbanzo beans)
2 Tbsp Tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 peeled garlic clove (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp ground sea salt
cumin, pepper and/or red pepper flakes to taste

put everything into a food processor and mix until smooth.  optional: for smoother, creamier hummus add water a tablespoon at a time until hummus reaches desired consistency.



sprinkle the top with paprika when serving to make it look delish!

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