Hummus

Motion DeSmith's post about onion dip inspired me to post this easy and delicious homemade hummus recipe. It requires a few ingredients you might not have hanging around the house, but are becoming increasingly available at many food retailers. I could probably die happy eating only Greek/Moroccan food, so I make this stuff pretty frequently.

Ingredients:

1 can 16 oz. chickpeas/Garbanzo beans

2-3 minced garlic cloves

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/3 c. tahini paste (sesame seed paste; typically comes in a jar or a tin)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or more to taste)

1/3 c. chickpea liquid, reserved

Directions:

1) Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid for later.

2) In a small skillet over low heat, cook garlic and cumin in 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, until garlic is soft and cumin is fragrant, about 1 minute.

3) Turn out over chickpeas.

4) Add tahini (it's about the viscosity of peanut butter, so be prepared with a spatula to dig it out of the measuring cup), lemon juice, and salt. Mix in a blender or food processor until smooth.

5) Add chickpea canning liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Variations:

1) At step 4, add some bottled roasted red peppers to the mix.

2) Add roasted eggplant for a variation on baba ghanouj.

3) Add a dash of cayenne for a spicy hummus.

Serve with warm pita bread. You can make your own by setting the oven to 425 degrees and placing a jellyroll pan upside-down in the oven. Make a basic bread recipe, roll out 6-in pieces to 1/8 in thickness, and flip onto the pan for 3-5 minutes (watch carefully! You want them golden brown but not crispy). The heat from the pan and the heat from the air cook the dough on both sides, creating an air bubble inside and thus the enviable pita pocket. This process can take practice, so don't be discouraged if your pitas don't puff up. They will still be tasty.