Oh where have you been all my life… Hummus. All the things my mother never knew. Asparagus…. hummus… black bean chili.. No not all together- just all the new things I am trying and loving.

So on with it.. I have discovered hummus. For a while now, fire child has been eating it from the jar out of the supermarket.. Wild Garden brand or something like that. It looks good, I tried it, but it seemed to have to much lemon in it, or something. As my tonsils would cringe the first few bites- so a little too bold for me. But there was potential. So.. I went scouring through a bunch of recipes and experimented making hummus.  Doesn’t that photo look so yummy!?

Lots of celery- oh soo good. Nice crunch, and with hummus as a dip- super filling and so healthy. Kashi crackers are also to die for with this dip! I basically have been making a batch of beans a week, then turn them into hummus- and it is my impulse food in the fridge. Works magic when you need something and want it now!

I have this neat little food processor- it is only a 3 cups- so it works perfectly for me. First thing I do is soak a bag of chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans) over night. The next day, rinse them super well and put them in a pot. I bring the pot to boiling, then let the beans simmer for a couple of hours. I basically go by taste to know when they are done. They should be tender.

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My Hummus Recipe:

3 cups cooked chick peas

3 tbs of tahini

Parsley

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp of paprika

1-2 tsp cumin (try one, then taste, add more if needed)

1 tsp salt (add more to taste if needed)

1/3 cup water

1 tbs of olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced (you can start with 1/2 of a lemon juiced and work your way up)

I take 3 cups of chickpeas, maybe just a tad less and put it into my food processor. Along with that I add parsley, I am a garlic lover, so I add on most days 2 cloves of garlic. Some days 4 Maybe one day I will be bold and go 6… yeah, I better stay away from people on those days!!

I add in about 3 tablespoons of Tahini. Tahini is a sesame seed paste- and it is oh so yummy. It is high in fat, but at least these are good fats. Each time I make this, I start off with the basic recipe above, and then fine tune it, with the salt, the cumin, garlic. Also, when you begin to blend- go in baby steps. Let it pulse a few times until you get it up to a roaring spin. Add water as you go, but not too much! You can always add water but you cannot take away! Though, you could add extra chick peas if need be.

The water is there to help give it a smoother consistency – or else it may be too thick and break your crackers. Just add as much as you like until it is how you prefer.I also like that with the water, I add less oil. My first batch, I added lots of oil- just to make it creamier.. and while it was good, it definitely was overboard! Maybe you can add more lemon juice- but for me, more than a half of a lemon is too much. So the water turned out to be a perfect addition.

Another thing you can try (I have not yet) is maybe some vegetable broth. It would give it a veggie taste, a little more depth of flavor. I will have to try this as I am now really liking this idea of making different flavors of hummus!

You really just add things a little bit at a time, and try as you go… Keep a paper and pencil of what you change, until you get your recipe down to the way you like it. And you do not have to have a 3-cup processor. Just measure out 3 cups! The leftover beans from the bag I either make soup with, or I put in the freezer for later. Or I just leave in the fridge for a few days and add to salads and such- or keep it at hand for an emergency when I run out of hummus.

This stuff so rocks with celery. It also makes a great spread. If you cannot give up your bagels, try hummus instead of cream cheese.

Now mind you, I am no expert on any of this.. I am just a crazy crochet lady who loves to learn and implement healthy foods in life… So take what I say with a grain of salt, and toss it out the window if need be! My taste buds can be pretty wild and cover wide ranges! And, I am a veggie nut… If you make this… let me know how it turns out!!!