(Anti-Vampire) Hummus

Not Greek, but why not?

Last on the Recipe Week menu — hummus!  No, it’s not Greek, but it’s super yummy. I’ve always loved it, and when I spent a year in Jerusalem, I got hooked on the stuff.

Besides, Daphna is of Israeli descent (now you know why her name is spelled with an “a”), and it’s her specialty.  And it’s fabulous with “Death Row Chicken.”  Really, tzatziki would be more authentic, but hummus is pareve.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cans of garbanzo beans (chic peas)
2. tahini
3. olive oil
4. lemon juice
5. garlic (we’re still trying to keep the Sunnydale vampires away. . .)
6. paprkia, olives, scallions, and parsley (for garnish)

Method:

In a food processor, combine garlic, olive oil, tahini and lemon juice.  You’re probably about to scream, “Hey Melina, this is a recipe.  Some amounts might be helpful!”  Well, y’all know I don’t cook that way, and the amounts are up to you. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of tahini, so I use about 2-3 tablespoons.  You may add more oil later, so just start with a drizzle.  Start with the juice of one lemon, add more later if you want.  Which brings us to garlic.  Remember, the phrase “clove(s) of garlic” is not a phrase you’ll find in my lexicon.  I prefer “head(s) of garlic.”  For hummus, go with at least one or one and a half.  I use two or three if my uncle Steve is coming over. (Garlic addiction is apparently a genetic thing, and as an added bonus, it keeps the vampires away.)

Grind, and turn into a paste.

Then, strain and rinse the beans.  Add them to the mixture in the food processor, and combine everything again until you’re happy with the texture.

I like the hummus to be creamy, but how long you let the ingredients combine is up to you

I like to serve my hummus on a plate.  Use a spoon to make a crater in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika, decorate with olives, scallions and parsley.

Variation:  roast the garlic first.

Serve with veggies, pita, or pita chips.

Here’s a bonus recipe:

Cut pita into triangles.  Spray with olive oil (the yuppy, all natural kind, please).  Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Sprinkle half of the pita triangles with za’atar, the other half with harrisa. Bake at 350 until crisp.

Enjoy!  (I’ll post a picture next time I make it.  Probably after NaNo.)