Hummus

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I'm trending more and more to make-it-at-home kind of recipes.  However, I still hadn't been satisfied with homemade hummus.  For starters, I really like hummus (most Greek food, for that matter) so the recipe needed to be great.  And Trader Joe's happens to have a hummus (the Mediterranean one) that we love.   I've tried a few recipes but nothing seemed to compete with Trader Joe's.  Until this recipe.

This one just seemed to have the right proportions of everything.  Also, a trick that my husband learned from his mom was that peeling the skins off the chickpeas makes hummus super creamy.  It is an extra step but totally worth it.  (I grumbled about it...until I tasted the hummus.)  Finally, I also like the hummus to refrigerate for several hours before serving so the flavors can meld together and I typically add a few tablespoons of water right before serving if it needs to be creamier.

The result is a super creamy, easy, delicious hummus that is excellent with cut up vegetables or pita bread (can I suggest homemade?).  And I don't have to go to Trader Joe's to get it.

Hummus
Taken from: Barefoot Contessa

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 cups chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved (can be canned or cooked at home)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• Optional: 8 dashes hot sauce (I omitted); feel free to add extra flavors if you'd like as well!

1. Optional step but will make your hummus super creamy: peel the skins off of all (or almost all) chickpeas.  It does take about 15 minutes or so.
2. Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. 
3. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature. (I always think hummus is better if it's had a few hours to sit.  Also, I often add a few tablespoons of water before serving to thin it out a bit and make it creamier.)