Hi guys! It’s a balmy 16 degrees in my part of Reno right now. Brrrrrrr. I had to walk Addy to the bus stop this morning, so we all bundled up. When I lived in California, I am pretty sure that if it was 16 degrees, I just wouldn’t go outside. I always thought if you went outside in that temperature….you would probably die within 15 minutes from exposure. And if you dared go outside, you better have long johns on. And actually, it really wasn’t that bad. I didn’t die. And I also didn’t need long johns. You adjust.
I had a post on my Facebook page the other day from a friend telling me that she poured Gourmet Rooster Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic spread on hummus. I had never thought of that….but it sounded amazing. It also got me in the mood to make hummus. I used to think hummus was so exotic and that it must be hard to make at home. Then, I had a Persian co-worker tell me her recipe. Real, authentic hummus could not be easier. This was about 10 years ago, and I have been whippin’ up homemade hummus ever since.
BTW-you all know what hummus is, right? Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip that is made of garbanzo beans (chick peas), tahini, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Tahini is a paste made of sesame seeds. It is like sesame butter. As you probably know, beans are super good for you as they are a good mix of fiber and protein. Olive oil is heart healthy too, but in small amounts. Hummus usually has a pretty fair amount of olive oil. As far as dips go, hummus is pretty healthy…..but don’t be fooled….hummus isn’t diet food.
Today I am going to show you two different hummus recipes. The first is the authentic hummus that I mentioned above. The second is a twist on hummus that I love. Hummus is delicious, and relatively good for you…..why would you not make it at home? Trust me; homemade is better than what you can buy at any store.
Let’s start with the basic hummus…..
I used one can of garbanzo beans, olive oil, tahini, garlic, lemon, salt and black pepper.
Tahini can be found on the ethnic aisle of your grocery store. I found it by the kosher foods. Make sure you get the plain tahini. Don’t get the one that has garlic, lemon and olive oil in it.
To make hummus, you need a food processor or a strong blender. There is no way around that. Sorry;)
I drained my beans and tossed them in. Then, I added the tahini, garlic, salt, and pepper.
I like to zest my lemon into my hummus. Typically, just the juice is used. I march to my own drummer……but I do use the juice of that lemon too.
I blend all of this, while slowly streaming in olive oil. I like to add a bit of water too. This helps it get smooth, without having to add too much olive oil.
There you have it…..basic hummus. Some people like to add even more olive oil over the top when serving. I don’t do that. I feel like that is too greasy, but you can do whatever you want. I am not the oil police.
And just like my friend Susan, I also poured a bit of Gourmet Rooster Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic spread. She was right….it was phenomenal. The sweetness of the spread is so good with the hummus.
Holy guacamole…..or rather, Holy Hummus. This was really good. I am pretty sure that your family and friends will love it…..Perhaps for a 49’er win this weekend??
My next hummus is not really a hummus at all, as it doesn’t have garbanzo beans in it. But it does have beans in it….so I’m sticking with hummus.
For this hummus, I used a can of white beans, lemon olive oil, a shallot, roasted garlic, salt and pepper.
If you don’t have lemon olive oil, just use regular olive oil and a lemon. You could have figured that out yourself, right?;)
I started this by roasting the garlic. I cut the top off a head of garlic and placed it on some foil. I drizzled some lemon olive oil over the top, and I also sprinkled it with salt and pepper. If you don’t have lemon olive oil, just use plain right now. You will use lemon later.
Gather the foil all around the garlic and make a cute little package. Roast this at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. It will smell amazing.
I also roast the majority of one large shallot. I saved about a quarter of the shallot for later. You’ll see.
The shallot got the same treatment as the garlic. I drizzled it with oil, salt and pepper. I don’t make this into a package though. I just toss it in the oven on a baking sheet. This will roast for about 15 minutes on 400 degrees. Roasting the shallot will make it sweet and yummy.
Once everything is roasted, I put about 4 cloves of roasted garlic into my food processor. Once it is roasted, it will squeeze right out….like a paste. Save the rest for something else. I also put in my roasted shallot, drained white beans, salt and pepper. I drizzled in my lemon olive oil while this all mixed in the processor.
This is when you would add you lemon juice too if you are just using plain olive oil.
As for the rest of that shallot……
I thinly sliced it and dropped it in hot oil. I fried the shallot until it was golden brown. This makes the best topping for this particular hummus.
I served this hummus with assorted raw veggies. Hummus is great with pitas, veggies, even chips!
I think that I prefer this hummus to basic hummus. Probably because I am obsessed with roasted garlic. If you think that you don’t like garlic….you have to try it roasted. That strong “garlic” flavor goes away. Roasted garlic has a sweeter flavor.
I hope that you try one of these hummus recipes. Like I said before….these would be perfect while watching some football. Go Niners!
Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans (15.5 ounces), drained
1 ½ tablespoons tahini paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
The juice of one lemon
The zest of one lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Blend beans, tahini, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice in food processor. While blending, slowly stream in olive oil and water until smooth.
Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus
1 can white beans (15 ounces), drained
4 cloves garlic
1 shallot, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
Vegetable oil for frying shallot
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a head of garlic on a baking sheet covered in foil. Cut the top off of the head of garlic. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon olive oil over the top. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper over garlic. Gather foil to make a tight package. Roast garlic at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
-You will only be using 4 cloves of this garlic. Reserve remaining for another use-
Place sliced shallot, about ¾ of a large shallot, on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon olive oil over shallots. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Place drained beans, roasted garlic, roasted shallots, remaining salt and remaining pepper in food processor. Blend, while slowly drizzling in remaining lemon olive oil.
Preheat sauté pan on stovetop. Place remaining sliced shallots in about 1 inch of hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until shallots are brown.
Top hummus with fried shallots.
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