Hummus AmongUs

Most people are looking for a healthy snack food, munchies or party dip. Settling for the usual line up of modified cheeses, chemicalized creams and mutilated offerings? Including salsa, there are very few choices that are actually good and good for you. One such tasty treat, though not widely used or seen at gatherings, is the wonderful chickpea dip, or Hummus. Bursting with vegetable proteins, fiber and nutrients including Iron, Folate and B6, hummus is still a tasty treat.

My wife and I whipped up a batch yesterday. We keep seeing it at the markets but can't bring ourselves to dish out five bucks for a 16 ounce cup. This little dish does not take a lot of time or effort to create. A quick trip to the market to pick up some ingredients. You will need a 16 ounce can of chickpeas, also known as garbanzos. A three and a half ounce jar of sesame seed; get the sesame seeds in the Asian section, it's more economical than in the spice isle. Now, if you like more flavor than you can spice up the hummus, like our recipe that follows, with some roasted red peppers, Italian style of course.

So now you have the main ingredients, the rest are normal staples. Check before you do your shopping to be sure. You will need a blender and a rubber spatula. Here is the recipe:

1/4 cup (half the jar) Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tsp Vegetable oil
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Minced garlic in oil or dried garlic soaked in water until tender
1/4 Tsp Cumin

1 can 16 ounce can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Water

1/2 of one Roasted Red Pepper

Add first 6 ingredients into the blender. Blend until smooth. Add next 3 ingredients and blend until smooth. Add the roasted red pepper and blend again. If needed add water to obtain a good firm consistency.

You can serve the hummus with pita bread, crackers or chips. It is also good as a spread on bread or in a sandwich.

Enjoy and stay warm.

Bill