Hummus Variations

By GratefulSea

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
• olive oil and paprika
• http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/

Details

Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

The secret to the basic recipe is to process the ingredients several times along the way. Start with putting the tahini paste and lemon juice in a food processor and process for about 1 minute.

Add half a clove of garlic, minced, along with the olive oil, cumin, and salt. Process for another minute. Scrape down the bowl and process again for about 1 minute.

Add a well-drained can of chick peas, process for 1 minute, scrape the bowl and add the reamining chickpeas; process for 1 to minutes more, until very smooth.

Taste for seasonings, correcting as desired.

Now add 2 to 3 Tblsp of water (or remaining water from chickpeas) to thin it down to your liking. Serve topped with olive oil and paprika.

VARIATIONS

Beautiful Beet Hummus - add roasted beets, feta, and dill.

Za'atar (pictured) - add the incredibly versatile Middle Eastern spice blend to take a basic hummus recipe (or good store bought stuff) to a new level. Serve with caramelized onions.

To make your own za'atar blend: grind together 1/4 cup sumac, 2 Tblsp thyme, 1 Tblsp roasted sesame seeds, 2 Tblsp marjoram, 2 Tblsp oregano, 1 teaspoon coarse salt.

Curry - add Madras curry powder and some sauted chickpeas.

Olive - add sliced olives.