Hummy Mummy

This is what DH was calling me yesterday after I made hummus for the first time.

Let me back up and explain why I would bother making this instead of buying it. We typically buy hummus from the Vestas canteen a couple of times a week. It is made with good ingredients, tastes fresh, and is a quick and easy snack. We hit a predicament when the Vestas canteen shop that sells the hummus closed for 3 weeks for summer holidays. We can't live without hummus!!

I bought some from Netto (local grocery store) that had a sticker advertising it was from Greece, so I thought it should be pretty authentic. Um, I was not impressed. It had a really tart taste like it had too much lemon, it was too smooth, and it changed colors after a couple of days.

I was on a mission yesterday to make hummus after deciding not to eat the crappy hummus anymore. After doing some research, I found this recipe:

Hummus with Tahini

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of tahini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of water
parsley and olive oil to garnish

Preparation:
Put 1/2 the lemon juice and all ingredients into the blender except the chickpeas (and the parsley and oil for garnish) and blend for 5 seconds. Add the chick peas and blend on high until it reaches the the consistency of sour cream, but granular, about 10-15 seconds. Blend in remaining lemon juice to taste. If the dip is too thick but you don't want to add more lemon juice, add a little water slowly and blend until it reaches the correct consistency.

Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. (It can be eaten immediately, but becomes even more flavorful if left to chill well.)

Drizzle of olive oil over the top and add a garnish of parsley or black olives before serving. Serve with pita wedges or slices of whole grain breads.

I actually followed the recipe exactly, and I recommend you do the same the first time. This makes a good, plain hummus. After making it one time and understanding the flavors, it would be a good chance to start jazzing it up. The possibilities are endless on what to add: more garlic, roasted red peppers or eggplant, jalepenos, etc.

Enjoy!