Recipe: 4 stars - Hummus

Last night my daughters and I made the hummus recipe from Epicurious (see below or at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hummus-237832).  Our version made the following substitutions:

• no tahini (I couldn't find it at the grocery store)
• double the cumin (oops!); no paprika or parsley

Immediately after making it, we used unsalted crackers to dip.  I loved it!  The girls, not so much.  Hopefully it will grow on them, but it is definately a new regular snack for me.

After the Hummus, I wanted something healthier to dip with, so made some mini pita rounds, using whole wheat flour (instead of the white that the recipe called for) and honey (instead of sugar).  They don't have a lot of flavour, so are okay for dipping in the flavourful hummus ... but the pita recipe needs work before getting posted!



Hummus
From http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hummus-237832

Ingredients

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling

2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish

Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Preparation

1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I often find I like to add much more lemon juice). Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.