The Hummus Among Us

For some, hummus comes naturally. They take a taste, and their eyes grow wide with joy, their tongue freezes in pure bliss. It’s a combination of simple taste and creamy texture that can be explained as nothing less than perfection. To others, it’s an acquired taste. A hesitant hand dips a pita chip into the beige unknown and then brings it to a waiting mouth. The verdict? Not much to say about it either way. And yet everytime the strange substance presents itself at a party or among snacks that your spouse sets out for the guests, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to it. You taste it again. And again. By the fourth or fifth time, you sincerely enjoy it. After that, it becomes somewhat of a favorite in your weekly palette.

Wherever you’re at, Hummus can meet you there.  I hope you enjoy this recipe. Hummus is simple to make and much cheaper (and more tasty) when you make it yourself.



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Ingredients (All organic, as always!)

Chick peas (AKA Garbanzo Beans)

1 Lemon or Lime

Tahini (sesame paste)

Salt

Olive Oil

Roasted Red Peppers (optional)

Garlic

Step One: A Good, Long Soak

You’re going to start with two cups of dried garbanzo beans. Place these in a large mixing bowl and fill it with filtered water. Then relax- you have to let them soak for 12 hours. When they’re done, they’ll have expanded to about five cups worth!

Why is it important to use filtered water, you ask? There are, as usual, a myriad of reasons. First, there’s chloride. Now, many filters that claim to filter chlorine (like a Brita) really only remove the chlorine odor. If you leave water out long enough, the chlorine will evaporate. (Incidentally, did you know that taking a ten minute shower allows your skin to absorb 8 glasses’ worth of chlorine? Icky thought for the day.)

Same beans, different day!

The second reason is fluoride. Not all water is fluoridated (thank goodness!) but many sources are. Please, I beg you, do not drink fluoridated water. If your water is fluoridated, purchase a reverse osmosis filter to remove it. Fluoride is a POISON. It may help you get less cavities, yes. But it’s a poison. It is doing terrible things to your brain and your childrens’ brains. If you have an infant or toddler, do not give them fluoride supplements to help their teeth! There is a reason you are supposed to call poison control if you swallow too much toothpaste. Fluoride…is…poison. If you don’t believe me, at least do the research yourself. *End rant.*

The third is that there is all kinds of other unpleasant nonsense in the water, not the least of which is more pharmaceuticals than you could shake a stick at.  Prozac, birth control, pain pills. You name it, it’s in measurable amounts in our water sources.

If anyone has ever said to you “There must be something in the water.” He was right. I highly, HIGHLY suggest you invest in a reverse osmosis water filter. I like reverse osmosis because it gets rid of fluoride and pharmaceuticals. Do some research and find out what kind of filter is right for you, but please, get one!

Step Two: Boil, boil, and boil some more!

So in the morning, take your nicely hydrated chick peas and strain them, then place them in a large, heavy pot (I love my ceramic coated cast iron pot)and once again, fill with water. Now here is the important part! You’re going to have to have them at a hard boil for two hours. That’s right, two hours. Stir occasionally and keep covered to minimize your evaporation loss. Keep an eye on them- if you have to add more water, make sure it’s boiling when you add it. These things are important because if you don’t do this step properly, you won’t have nice, soft chick peas. You’ll have yucky hard ones.

After your two hours of boiling is up, strain the chick peas again, this time reserving the water.

Step Three: Put it all together, and what have you got?

Now you’re going to put all your ingredients (well, most of them, don’t rush me.) in your desired crushing device. I, as usual, will use my Ninja! Put all the chick peas in, then 8 tablespoons of Tahini.

Tahini Note: When you open up your Tahini for the first time, it’s going to be pretty soupy on top from settling, gently stir it all back together, until it becomes more of a peanut butter texture.

Next, add 1 tablespoon of salt, 10 cloves of garlic (you can mix it up between fresh cloves and garlic powder, but fresh is always better.) and the juice of one lemon or one lime. Puree this mix, using short pulses, until you reach the desired consistence. Hummus consistency is hard to explain in words. You’re going to have to figure it out on your own. When you stick your finger in and it’s pretty smooth and it’s pleasing to eat, then by Jove! You’ve got it!

Step Four: Extras, Extras

Here you can add in pretty much anything your heart desires. For this recipe we added scallions and roasted red peppers. I chopped the peppers up really small and added about ½ cup to the mix. For the scallions, we did about 4 tablespoons. If you taste it and you like it, then stop here! If not, get imaginative. Try adding different spices, more garlic, whatever you’d like. To ours we added some pepper, a little rosemary, and some Kirkland no-salt seasoning. Parsley or basil would also be a nice addition.

Step Five: Serve

Serve with a garnish of whatever you’ve added, such as a nice pile of red peppers or some fresh sprigs of parsley. Right before serving, drizzle with olive oil. There you have it! Lovely with flat bread, pita chips, and of course, veggies! Enjoy!