Tuesday, January 13, 2009

"I Got the Hummus!"


Friends fans will recognize the title of this post. Phoebe spilled hummus on her gown just before the gang was to leave for Ross' big party for work. She ran through Monica's apartment yelling, "I got the hummus!"

At the time I had no idea what hummus was. I assumed it was something very "stainy". Come to find out it is a really yummy dip made from chickpeas...a.k.a garbanzo beans...and it is very pale in color, not "stainy" at all.

Anyway, hummus is my new favorite dip for veggies. I try to eat as many raw veggies as possible...(and get my kids to eat them too, but I'm only having success with one of them right now)...but I like them with dip. You know, dip. Made out of sour cream or some other massively fattening dairy product. Veggies just aren't as appealing to me plain.

Hummus to the rescue! Hummus is extremely flavorful and much better for you than French Onion dip. It is basically mashed beans with some garlic and spices mixed in, which makes it a good source of fiber and protein.

You can buy hummus at Wal-Mart for $1.97 per tub. It is in the refrigerated case next to the deli counter. But you can make your own hummus very cheaply, too.

Here is my basic hummus recipe:

1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, reserving liquid
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Saute garlic in olive oil in skillet for approx. 3 mins until browned. Place beans in blender or food processor with 1 T. reserved liquid. Process until smooth. Mix in the garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until desired consistency, adding additional reserved liquid as desired. Chill until serving.

That's it. SO easy!

You can experiment with different flavor add-ins until you get the type of hummus you like. Here are some variations on hummus from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Mediterranean Hummus

Jalapeno Hummus

Pumpkin Hummus

Italian Hummus

For more great recipes and kitchen tips check out Tammy's Recipes.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe. I LOVE hummus!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

Yum! I can't wait to try this one. :D

Liz said...

If you like spicy, try adding a SMALL (very small, like 1/2 tsp) amount of chipolte peppers in adobe sauce (in small can at grocery store). When I make hummus I always have to make some like this for Eric- he loves it and it makes a flavorful sandwich :-)

Kari said...

I also heard the other night...a great substitution for the chick peas are edamame