Yummy Hummus for Everyday Eating

Hummus has long been one of my go-to recipes for a household staple. When we had the restaurant, we made it weekly as it was a key ingredient in our turkey hummus sandwiches we offered daily. I love it because it can be made out of just about any kind of bean. It works easily with canned beans or you can soak and cook your own from dry beans with amazing results. The key is to puree the beans until really smooth, a couple of minutes if you can. This enhancement will yield a smooth paste that will taste silky and savory on the tongue and spread like butter.

In fact, I use it for a substitute for butter for my breakfast toast most days. I use it for a dip for veggies in the afternoon and I use it a spread with grilled vegetables for a lunchtime wrap. Most recipes require tahini but I make mine Moroccan style which I am told means no tahini and the addition of ground cumin and cayenne. I have added the amount should you wish to use tahini in your recipe, but if you don't have it, no worries, it will still be tasty.

Click here to see me make this recipe for Fox21online news.

Ingredients used to make Hummus

Garbanzo beans- I like the organic beans when I can get them, however regular on sale garbanzo beans will do just fine. You could use a white bean with excellent results if you had them on hand. Remember to drain and rinse and save the aquafaba which is the brine it's stored in.

Olive oil- for everyday eating, regular olive oil will be just fine for hummus. If you have EVOO and that's all you have, that's ok too. We are into consolidating inventory these days.

Lemon Juice- Again, the fresh lemon squeezed would be ideal, but if you have the plastic squeezy kind, that will work for the acid portion of this dish.

Tahini- I buy it so I am always looking for ways to use it. You can use peanut or sunflower butter in a pinch or just leave it out. Many folks in the world I believe make it without tahini.

Garlic powder- I prefer garlic powder because if you get some strong fresh garlic, it will overtake your dish in a day or two and leave you with that strong garlic taste. There are a few dishes I use garlic powder, for this reason, my salsa being one of them.

Ground cumin- Do not skip this spice, it adds a real earthy flavor to the dish.

Cayenne pepper- All you need is a pinch, it adds a bit of a kick.

Chef's notes:

-Hummus and turkey are a match made in heaven. When we had the restaurant that was a big seller for us.

-Recently when I was in the UK visiting the great Harrods department store, I had lunch and had a salad which had a base of hummus on the bottom of the salad. It was so clever to have that creamy, beany base and greens and whole garbanzo on top. I have since seen a similar version at the Fig and Farro restaurant in Minneapolis

-Years ago a chef gave me a hint when making hummus to keep 3 beans out of the recipe to use for garnish when done.

Hummus

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/8 cup liquid from a can of chickpeas 4 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste) 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini, peanut butter or sunflower butter (optional) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pinch cayenne pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling on the top 1 pound carrots sticks, broccoli, and cauliflower

Instructions:

Drain chickpeas, rinse, and set aside liquid from the can.

Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor.

Add 1/8 cup of liquid from chickpeas.

Blend for 1 minute on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in the serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well.

Serve immediately with fresh vegetables, or cover and refrigerate.

Storing: Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 7 days and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month.

Add a little olive oil or water if it appears to be too dry.