Finally...some recipes! Hummus!

Since I was so gently eased out of sleep this morning by some big dude throwing up while sneezing in our apartment complex, I thought I would write down some of my favorite recipes before church.

This hummus recipe is excellent, in my opinion. I've never had store bought hummus taste this good, and there is the added bonus of knowing YOU made something for less than a dollar that normally costs about $3.50 in the store.

This recipe was adapted from EatingWell.com's Roasted Garlic Hummus. I have tried this recipe with traditional garbanzo beans and pinto beans (because they are cheaper). They taste similar to me, and since pinto beans are available at Costco...well, there you go. The recipe would follow the same instructions for either, however, it is not necessary to "shell" the pinto beans.

Lisa's Roasted Garlic Hummus

Reagents:

1 19-oz can of chickpeas (or pinto beans)
1 head garlic
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS H2O (ahem...water)
1 TBS Soy sauce
1 TBS Tahini (sesame paste, usually found in the international foods section of grocery, or can be found at specialty markets, which is where I found mine)
2 "Grinds" from a pepper grinder
Dash of salt
Dash of Cumin
Chili powder to taste (I like mine a bit spicy)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Remove the outer, papery layers from the garlic, and chop of the top 1/2" of the head, exposing the top of all of the cloves. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and place in oven. Roast for about 40 minutes. Garlic should be soft and sticky, and smell ah-mazin'. Separate cloves (carefully if you're brave (read: stupid) and it's still hot), and place garlic in food processor or blender.

2. Drain and rinse chickpeas (or pintos). I like to remove the skin from the chickpeas to make a smoother hummus. To do this, soak chickpeas in water, and roll them around with your fingers. The skins will come off easily and float to the top. Skim them off, and have patience, because this is can be a frustrating step.

3. Puree garlic, beans, water, lemon, tahini, and soy sauce. Mix in spices thoroughly (you could probably puree them with the other ingredients, but I don't).

4. Garnish with...whatever you like! Popular traditional choices are paprika or a sprig of parsley.

Serve with crudites or pita chips. I also use this as a spread on my sandwiches for added flavor.

Enjoy!