Hummus-ing to a new tune!
Posted on : 22-06-2010 | By : linkfit | In : Diet, Health, Information, Nutrition, Recipes
Tags: Diet, food, hummus, Nutrition, Recipes
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Hummus is a dip/spread that is made from chickpeas. In fact, hummus is the Arabic word for chickpea. You may notice that many hummus recipes call for garbanzo beans, not chickpeas. Don’t worry, garbanzo is the Spanish translation of chickpea. They are called cece beans in Italy and pois chiche in France.
Hummus is one of the oldest foods dating back to ancient Egypt. We know that chickpeas were used quite frequently over 7,000 years ago.
Hummus Recipes
If you frequent Middle Eastern restaurants and eat the hummus, you know that hummus tastes different everywhere. Some types of hummus have a strong lemon flavor, some have an overwhelming garlic flavor, and some hummus has a spicy tone.
When making your own hummus, you have to keep your own tastebuds in mind. If a recipe calls for a lot of tahini( see below) and you don’t like tahini, scale down the amount or simply omit it. The fun about Middle Eastern cooking is that the ingredient amounts aren’t set in stone. Add a little of this and take away that and you still have a culinary masterpiece!
These days hummus is made a million different ways, flavor included. Here are some excellent hummus recipes that have a variety of ingredients making hummus more exciting
Ingredients: TAHINI
- 5 cups sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
Preparation:
Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The goal is a thick, yet pourable texture. Add more oil and blend until desired consistency.
Yield: 4 cups
Storing Tahini
Tahini should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Ingredients: ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS
- 1 can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans (15 oz)
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 cup -3/4 cup roasted red peppers (depending on taste)
Preparation: Is the same for all recipes
Garnish with parsley. Serve warm with hot pita bread or toasted pita chips.
Ingredients: SUN DRIED TOMATO HUMMUS
- 1 can garbano beans/chickpeas (15 oz.), drained
- 3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 teaspoons parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Ingredients: ROASTED EGGPLANT HUMMUS
- 2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or soaked if using dried
- 1 small eggplant
- 3 tablespoons of tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Sprig of parsley, finely chopped
Preparation:
Ingredients: SPINACH AND FETA HUMMUS
- 1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas (15 oz), drained
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach
- 3 oz, crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic
Preparation:
Ingredients: LOW FAT RANCH-YOGURT HUMMUS
- 1 15 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained (save liquid)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tahini, or low fat peanut butter if you prefer (optional, but if you do not use, increase yogurt by 1 TBSP)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
Preparation:
If your hummus is too thick, add a little bit of the liquid from the chickpeas – about a teaspoon at a time. Other ways to thin out hummus is by using warm water or olive oil.
