Hummus

I remember before I had actually tried hummus thinking that it looked so delicious and smelled so good that it couldn't be anything else. Well, the first time I tried commercial hummus I was very disappointed. It was so sour that my mouth was unhappy and the wonderful garlic smell didn't translate to a wonderful garlic taste. So I developed a recipe with a lot less lemon juice and a lot more garlic. And now my mouth is happy.

Hummus
2 - 14.5 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 - 3/4 cup tahini
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt, to taste

Puree garbanzo beans in a food processor or blender with a little of the reserved liquid until smooth. Add in tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Process until well incorporated. With food processor running slowly pour in olive oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

And that's how I would have made it if my blender had not frizzed on me. As you can see by the photo, I ended up using my potato smasher and a fork to do the work of the blender. This obviously made a more chunky hummus, but it still tasted great. The recipe above is also just the base that I use. While it is a very traditional hummus, I prefer mine very creamy so I add sour cream and cream cheese...and more olive oil. While it won't garner any brownie points with people who love real hummus, it's so fabulous on pita or bagel chips it's almost a sin.

On a side note: garbanzo beans, whether canned or rehydrated from dry, have a tough casing on them that I don't care for in my finished hummus. I remove it very easily by just popping the bean out of it. A tedious job it may be, but a smoother product it will yield.