hummus.

I'm making an honest effort lately to buy and consume less processed foods. That means making a lot more things from scratch. It's extra time spent in the kitchen, yes, but I feel good about what I'm making and better then, about what I'm eating. Something that I'm basically addicted to is hummus. I have it constantly and I put it on everything. Naturally, I've always bought packaged hummus from the store, and it's delicious. But I decided that I'd make it for myself one day, just to see how it would turn out. And since the recipe came from my trusty The Best-Ever Vegetarian Cookbook I knew I was in good hands.


the recipe
8 oz can chick peas
6 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper


1. Drain the chick peas, reserving the liquid from the can, and put them into a blender or food processor. Blend to a smooth paste, adding a small amount of the reserved liquid, if necessary.
2. Mix the garlic, lemon juice and tahini together and add to the blender or food processor. Process until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add 3 tbsp of the olive oil through the feeder tube or lid.
3. Add the cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Process to mix. Scrape the hummus into a bowl. Cover and chill.


substitutions
None! I used this recipe exactly as is.


great with
Let your imagination go wild. I love dipping crackers into it for a snack, or spreading it onto a sandwich or veggie burger. The veggie burger  might sound strange, but I had it at a restaurant once and I've been doing it ever since.


the review
Mmm...as it turns out, homemade hummus it delicious. It's ridiculously easy to make too, so there's really no excuse to not be making it yourself. The first time I made this, I was hosting some friends for the weekend, and they seemed to like it. I made it for myself a second time and added one less tablespoon of lemon juice. To me then, it tasted perfect. I know people are very specific about their hummus, so this could be a good recipe to start out with and tweak as necessary. Very easy, very delicious. And I don't think I'm ever buying hummus from the store again.