food comas

For how often I consume hummus as a snack, it is almost crazy how long it took me to make it from scratch at home. Jen and I also used to make a ton of Mediterranean inspired recipes and for one of our favorites, the Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs, we always improvise the side dishes and sauces, ranging from Tzatziki, to Baba Ghanoush, to Pomegranate Relish.

And then, I went to Morocco with some friends, where we became obsessed with finding hummus in a land of ubiquitous tagine. Yes, hummus is not Moroccan. I get it. I love and appreciate trying local cuisines. But after a week of all-meals-all-the-time tagine, our hearts were yearning for some mashed up chickpeas. The heart wants what it wants… So upon returning home, I took it upon myself to finally make one of my favorite snacks. The recipe below is pretty simple. I have since tried different iterations and would say adding roasted eggplant or sun-dried tomatoes to the mix produces excellent results.

Home-made HummusYield: a bowl of goodness

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas (drain, but save the liquid for later)
• 1.5-2T Tahini
• 3-4T lemon juice (freshly squeezed, duh)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2T olive oil
• salt, to taste
• paprika, olives, pomegranate seeds, etc to garnish
• roasted eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes (optional, to add flavorings)
• pita chips or pita breads, to serve with

Directions:

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil (EVOO becomes very bitter when blended) in a blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the chickpea can liquid and blend until smooth (or desired consistency).  Add more liquid if necessary.

Place in a bowl and hollow out a well in center. Drizzle olive oil, paprika, add olives and pomegranate. Serve with pita and enjoy on its own or with a bunch of hors d’oeuvres such as Mini Caprese, Salmon Rillettes, Portobello Pizzas, and White Cheddar Gougères with Apple and Prosciutto