Mediterranean Hummus

Mediterranean hummus is a spread made from garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and tahini. It’s a healthy snack dip that’s delicious warm or cold!

So I am having a going-in-circles-chasing-my-tail kind of week.  You know the type of week where it takes oh, say 3 days to fold a single load of laundry, attempt to sweep under the dining room table, or perhaps take a shower during daylight hours?  That’s my week, and it’s only Wednesday.  We have, however, engaged in squirt gun and water balloon warfare,  taken daily hikes in the woods pretending we were Bear Grylls, and explored the effects air pressure with a homemade marshmallow shooter. We are thumbing our noses at authority, and ignoring the ever present mundane household tasks.

Wait a minute–I am the authority. I am toeing the line of  responsibility and the willing pursuit of immaturity. In the spirit of that rebellion, we are going to continue to ignore the “should do’s” and continue with our “want to’s” and spend tomorrow at the beach.  It is summer vacation, after all.

Going to the beach with 4 kids in tow requires a bit of preparation and a whole lot of nosh.  I like to take things that they can grab a bite of  in between swimming, digging in the sand, and showing me the cool new rock/shell/bug/treasures that they just found.

Mediterranean hummus is a good beach snack for the kids because they can eat on the fly, and I feel that I am at least getting some form of protein in them.  They can dip a carrot or pita wedge into the hummus, and be on their way. The fact that I can whip it up in about 10 minutes just gives me more time to work on my tan. You will need a food processor, and:

1 15-16 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

¼ C. tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)

2 Tbs. water (or more to taste)

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced

½ tsp. kosher or sea salt (or more to taste)

½ tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)

And yes, that is a ridiculous amount of cayenne. I bought it because we once had a few ants getting in the house. I read if you sprinkled cayenne along the perimeter of the room, and brushed it under the molding, that the ants would stay away. So I spent an hour doing just that, only to wake up in the morning to find the cayenne pushed back out from under the molding, and the ants going about their business. I’ve been trying ways to incorporate cayenne into just about everything ever since.

To make this Mediterranean hummus, start by draining and rinsing the garbanzo beans. Or you can call them chickpeas. Call ’em what ya like, just make sure they are drained and rinsed to get off the all the salt that they are canned in.  Grab your food processor, and put the garbanzo beans into the bowl.  Here’s my food processor:

Straight out of the 80’s. I think my Mom used it once to make a salad, then promptly put it in storage for a few decades. She very generously gave it to me when I melted the bowl of my food processor in the dishwasher.  (Thanks, Mom!)

Add the remaining ingredients, except the smoked paprika, to the garbanzo beans in the bowl.  (That’s salt, cayenne, cumin, garlic, water, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini.)  Cover it and give it a whirl until the hummus is smooth. Add a touch more water or lemon juice and give it another spin if the mixture is not as smooth as you would like.

Transfer the hummus into a bowl.  Lick the spoon. Or be like me, and give the spoon to your waiting 4 year old–he’s hovering.

Sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika over the top.  It’s pretty and delicious. I love that.

We like to eat Mediterranean hummus with sliced veggies and pita bread.

And by we, I mean that I eat all the veggies, while my kids eat a few token carrots, and then snarf down all the bread.

Kirsten Kubert

Yields 1

Mediterranean Hummus

Garbanzo beans, tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic, and seasonings combine to make this healthy and delicious snack spread.

7 minPrep Time

7 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 15-16 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 C. tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
• 2 Tbs. water (or more to taste)
• 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine garbanzo beans, salt, cayenne, cumin, garlic, water, lemon juice, olive oil and tahini in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Cover and pulse until smooth.
3. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
4. Transfer to a bowl, and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika, if desired.
5. Serve with pita bread, crackers or fresh vegetables. Also a nice sandwich or wrap spread.

Notes

OTHER OPTIONS:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, make as directed and add half of a jar of prepared roasted red pepper to the bowl before processing.

For Summery Hummus, make as directed and add 1-2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley to the bowl before processing.

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https://comfortablydomestic.com/2010/06/hummus-and-the-pursuit-happiness/

Comfortably Domestic - 2016