Sunday, April 18, 2010

Hummus

This recipe is from the show Zoom.  About 3 years ago, Brynlee used to watch this show on PBS.  She saw the children making this recipe wanted to make it too.  I printed it out, put it in my folder and didn't make it until last month.  Why did I wait so long?!!  It's a weekly staple in my house now as a great and healthy dip for vegetables or pita chips!

Here's what you will need to make it:

  • 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tahini (a.k.a. sesame seed butter/paste)
  • pita bread, cut veggies, or chips
  • blender
  • garlic press
  • spatula
  • bowl

Here's what you have to do:

1. People in Middle Eastern countries, like Lebanon, have been making hummus for thousands of years. There are lots of ways to make hummus, but chickpeas are always the main ingredient. (Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpea.)

2. Ask a grown-up for help before you begin. You will be using a blender for this recipe.

3. Wash your hands.

4. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then dump them into the blender.

5. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

6. Peel 1 clove of garlic and crush it in a garlic press. (If you don't have a garlic press, chop it finely with a knife.)

7. Add the crushed garlic to the blender.

8. Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of tahini. Tahini is ground sesame seeds (kind of like peanut butter) and can be found near the peanut butter in some grocery stores. Other stores may have it in the international section.

9. Put the lid on the blender and puree at low speed for 5-10 seconds until smooth.

10. Wait for the blender to stop completely. Then mix the hummus with a rubber spatula so that all the ingredients get blended.

11. Put the lid back on and puree for another 10 seconds.

12. Wait for the blender to stop completely. Then pour the hummus into a bowl.

13. You can serve hummus with vegetables, pita bread, tortilla chips or whatever tastes good.

14. Sahtayn! In Arabic it means "Two healths" - your health and my health.