Saturday, September 24, 2011

Basic Hummus



Maybe some of you have figured out by now that I am a part-time Middle School geography teacher. (I also teach other classes, but let’s not get into that now. When you work at a small Lutheran school, you have to be flexible and able to teach/do lots of different things – keeps life interesting, I say!) My 7th grade curriculum this year is the Eastern Hemisphere and we started at the logical beginning – the Middle East. Remember learning about Mesopotamia, the Cradle of Civilization?

I love to cook for my students. I know they learn tons about culture and places through taste. It’s a very powerful experience for them. Sometimes I go all out and make an entire meal: paella when studying Spain or turkey in mole sauce when studying Mexico. This week I kept it simple and made hummus. Admittedly, not all the kids like all the food I make, but it’s good for them to be exposed to it.



So this is my basic, basic hummus recipe. If you have never tasted hummus, you are in for a great treat. You can bump up the flavor by adding cumin or cayenne pepper, more garlic or even scallions. But we like it plain. If you have never used tahini, you will be surprised how unusual it is!
Healthy, low-fat and totally addicting! Dip Away!



Here’s what you need:
2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas) well rinsed
6 T tahini
1 large clove garlic
6 T lemon juice
½ C water
1 t salt

Here’s what you do:
WHILE THE BLADE IS RUNNING, drop the garlic in a food processor. This is the best trick to get teeny pieces of garlic.  You can see the little specs in the photo.



Add the remaining ingredients and blend well. Adjust water and seasonings. Mine here is a bit thick. Serve with crackers, pita, or sliced veggies. To make a beautiful presentation, you can drizzle olive oil over it and sprinkle a bit of paprika for color.

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Texas Caviar
                          Tomato Press (this is a good post for those of you who love kitchen gadgets)

4 comments:

  1. I've never made my own hummus, but it looks quite easy! I always just buy Sabra...but maybe I should make my own batch. I'm sure it tastes so very fresh...

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  2. I wish my teachers had made great food like this for me back in the day! Your students are so lucky! I have a hummus recipe quite close to this and I'm always thankful that we have food processors to make recipes like this come together fast.

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  3. there's nothing better than homemade hummus - so nice of you to supply your students!! Lovely recipe :)
    Mary

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  4. I've never made my own hummus, but it looks easy. Thanks for sharing.

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