Mmm, Hummus!

Angry Bird mittens are in the works, so I shall have to post something else today. The first thing that came to mind was something tasty that I had for lunch… hummus! I used to buy tubs of hummus in the deli section of the grocery, but I always found they were, well… lacking in good flavour? Then I tried using some dried “chick pea mix” that I found – to which I simply added water and seasonings to make a much tastier version. But then I discovered just how easy it is to make hummus from scratch, and there’s been no turning back!

Mmm, Hummus!

• 1 can      chick peas (aka garbanzo beans)
• 1 tbsp      tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1-3          garlic cloves
• 1 whole    lemon
• 1/4 C       olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• ground cumin
• ground coriander
• 1/2 C       pine nuts (optional)

Rinse and drain the can of chick peas in a sieve, then place in a food processor with a chopping blade. Spoon in 1 generous tablespoon of tahini. Add peeled garlic cloves to taste (personally, I much prefer the flavour of roasted garlic, which I keep in a little jar of olive oil in the fridge…). Take the lemon and juice it (I use one of those inexpensive orange juice dealies), then zest the rind. Add both the juice and the zest to the food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil. Add the 4 spices to taste (I’d start with 1/2 tsp of each to start and then sample and add more as you go). Pulse to mix. Scrape the edges with a spatula and then process until smooth. If you like a thicker version, serve as is, but if you like a smoother, lighter version, pour in a little bit of water as it is processing until it gets the consistency you prefer… Voila!!! Or not. If you want to try something a little different, roast some pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden, shaking often so as not to burn. Add half to the hummus and process. Sprinkle the other half over top when you are done. Serve with warm pita, corn chips, or spread in a sandwich. YUM!!! Now, wasn’t that worth it? 😉