hummus

I’ve been meaning to share this hummus recipe with you for a while.

Hummus is my go-to snack and, because I believe in making all of my food from scratch, my hummus is homemade. So, I have been experimenting with and tweaking my hummus recipe for a while now, adding warm water instead of cold water, trying roasted garlic instead of raw garlic, adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few drops of Tabasco sauce for a spicy quick, until I achieved a luscious emulsion of flavors.

But, the wonderful thing is, you can tailor your hummus to your liking, adding extra lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, or other spices. So, don’t let this recipe limit your creativity.

To accompany my hummus, I most often roast vegetables. For instance, I might toss carrot sticks in extra virgin olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and roast them at 400° for 20 minutes. Or, I might toss cauliflower “steaks” with extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and roast them at 400° for 20 minutes. But, the possibilities are endless. Ultimately, what you have is a quick, simple, and healthy snack.

Hummus

1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika and extra virgin olive oil (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400°. Roast garlic for 20 minutes, or until cloves feel soft when pressed.

In a food processor, add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and add more cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve with raw or roasted vegetables, such as raw carrots, cumin roasted carrots, celery, roasted broccoli, or roasted cauliflower.

Tagged as: carrots, cauliflower, garbanzo beans, hummus