By Sharon Merkel Prudhomme ~
Do you love Hummus? I used to find it distasteful until we made our own. Of course for our catering business, we’d make gallons at a time, for home use, one can will do. You’ll need a food processor and the rest is a five-minute snap! Most recipes call for the “Tahini” (sesame) paste. Another choice would be sesame oil. I prefer to use sesame seeds that are placed in a dry frypan and toasted until they turn a nice tan or khaki color. Chick Peas, AKA Garbanzo Beans are in the legume family and are Egyptian peas.
Give this quick recipe a shot and let us know what you think. Remember, as in most recipes, use it as a guide for the basic, adding your own “twist.” I prefer no salt as I use herbs and seasonings, but IF you must go easy. Enjoy! 5 minutes is all it takes*
1 can 15oz. chickpeas- drain, reserving liquid, 1 Tbl olive oil, 1 Tsp lemon juice, 1 clove garlic or ½ Tsp garlic powder (more if you love garlic as I do), ½ Tsp cumin, 2-3 Tsp sesame seeds (heat, dry pan till khaki color-remove from heat quickly)
**Add all of the above into processor and blend until smooth adding a small stream of reserved liquid at a time until you have the desired thickness.
Voila! Enjoy with fresh-cut bell peppers, carrots, cucumber “gears” (recipe to follow), grape tomatoes, celery, assorted crackers, etc.
The following are additions to try for variations when processing:
Red bell pepper, hot sauce, spinach, fresh basil leaves, peanut butter, oregano, crushed red pepper, sour cream, grain mustard-the skies the limit!