Hummus

One of the staples around our house is hummus.  There are so many things I love about hummus.  One is that it is incredibly easy to make. I also love that it packs a nice protein punch.  It is a great way to get kids to eat fresh veggies.  It is easy to pack up for a picnic lunch or a lunch on the go. It goes well on wraps and sandwiches.  Makes a great dip for all kinds of fresh veggies and/or crackers.  Really it is just a staple to have in the fridge. 

This is my basic hummus recipe. I will sometimes add roasted red peppers or sun dried tomatoes to this recipe to give it a little more spunk and to mix things up a bit. 

Hummus

3 cups of garbanzo beans (or use 2 cans which is sligthly more)
**1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1 1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2-4 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
Fresh parsley (to taste.....I enjoy parsley and use a pretty good size handful)
2 TBS fresh chives
2 tsp Herbamere
Sprinkle Sea Salt

**tahini is typically the ingredient here, which is simply ground sesame seeds.  If you have a vita-mix or other high powered blender you can just toss in the sesame seeds and don't need to buy tahini. 

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  I sometimes add a little water if the mixture is to thick. 

One trick I learned a few years ago is that the best hummus is made from freshly cooked garbanzo beans.  So if you cook your own beans make the hummus shortly after the beans are done for a smooth, creamy hummus. If you are using canned beans warm them up and then make your hummus.  It really does make quite a difference.