Monday, October 25, 2010

Hummus - Just as Universal as Mayo


Hummus. Love it. Absolutely love it. I dip things in it, spread it on things, mix different ingredients into it. You can use it for just about anything! Now most pre-made hummus you find in stores contain A LOT of oil and sometimes other ingredients that I can't pronounce. So once I discovered how incredibly easy it is to make my own, I never looked back to the shelves in the grocery store again.

You can mix a million different flavors into hummus twisting and turning it into different recipes, but today I will present you with the basic hummus recipe. Simple but never boring.

An important key to a good hummus is Tahini or Tahina. Tahini is basically a sesame seed paste. You can actually make it yourself, but I opt for the easy option of buying a huge tub. Why? Well its relatively cheap and it lasts forever. Nowadays you can find it at most grocery stores. Tahini reacts with the chickpeas to make a smoother texture and richer flavor (if you have ever tried to make hummus without tahini, you know what I am talkin about!

Ok... on to the recipe!

Basic Hummus 

1 can of chickpeas
2 tbsp of Tahini
1 tbsp of water or oil
1 tbsp of lemon juice (optional)
1 garlic clove
Salt to taste

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water or oil and blend. Blender is easiest option, but of course I do not have one so I use an emersion blender. Heck I have even used a potato mashed.

I choose water over oil for a healthier option. But once everything is blended, you may need to add more liquid to reach your desired consistency (depends on how thick or thin you like yours).

Also, I love garlic, so I often put in more.. but there is such a thing as too much. I think 1-2 cloves is just fine raw, but I have made it with roasted garlic and I use a lot more.

Drizzle olive oil on top and serve with chips, pita, veggies... literally whatever!





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