Protein Packed & Fiberific Hummus

Yes, I am one of those picky kids who hates beans. I would make a very poor vegetarian for the very reason that the texture and smell of beans in any fashion makes me gag. So no wonder I never liked hummus. Wait, what? “Hummus isn’t made of beans,” you say. Well, let me tell you, my gag reflex knows when it’s in the vicinity of beans and hummus-well, it’s just glorified bean dip. But you know what? I LOVE homemade hummus. The store-bought stuff is super beany, like eating re-fried beans straight from the can beany. But homemade hummus? Homemade hummus is creamy and nutty and garlicky and delicious! And easy! You just dump the ingredients into a blender or food processor and whiz away. Here is a great video though my recipe is a bit different due to the beaniness factor.

Hummus

• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (a different name for Garbanzo BEANS, see, I told you)
• 1/3 cup high-quality olive oil
• juice from 1 1/2 small/medium lemons
• 1-2 cloves garlic, depends on how much raw garlic you can handle
• 1/3-2/3 cup tahini
• salt & pepper
• paprika
• olive oil
• bean juice *gag*

1. Drain the chickpeas but reserve the liquid, this is your “bean juice” and you will use it to make your hummus the consistency you want. Some recipes call for chicken broth, I haven’t tried it that way but sounds like a tasty non-vegetarian option.
2. Add all ingredients except bean juice to the blender/food processor. Start with the smaller amounts of lemon juice, garlic and tahini and add more as you go.
3. Puree until smooth adding bean juice as necessary to make it smoother and creamier. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Spoon hummus into a dish and drizzle with additional olive oil and dust with paprika.
5. It will have the best texture at room temperature.

Eat this with crackers, pita bread wedges, or pita chips. You can also dip carrot chips or celery in it for a healthy, low-cal snack. I don’t but you could.