I recently started a meal delivery service.
I change the meal selections from week to week and in April I decided to put hummus on the menu.
As I always do, I scheduled the deliveries.
Sorted out the portion sizes.
Then I rifled through my recipes to take stock of what I’d need to buy at the grocery store.
Imagine my surprise when I found I didn’t have a recipe for hummus! *dun dun dun dun* (insert scared movie scream here)
The next week on a family trip I made everyone (as I usually do) be my guinea pigs as I tested different recipes. I went around the room making everyone try spoonfuls of different types of hummus.
My “Curious George” mom was interested in the ingredients.
The base for any type of hummus is pureed chickpeas.
If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you know I like to cook healthy. And chickpeas are SO good for you! (Which is great because I can, and frequently do, eat them by the handful)
When talking about the recommended daily allowance, 1 cup of chickpeas gives you 30% of your protein intake, 50% of your fiber intake, 30% of your iron intake, along with a plethora of other vitamins and minerals! Chickpeas are a tad carb-y coming in at 15% of your recommended allowance—BUT they’re the good kind of carbs (WHAT?! Yes, there IS a good kind of carb, shocking as it may be). With a low glycemic index they work with the tons of fiber and protein they contain to keep you satiated. I know I just threw a lot of numbers at you, but bottom line—they’re good for you!
Now, I’m aware that not everyone has a meal delivery service, so you might be thinking “Why not just buy a tub of sabra?”. Because this recipe is super simple and takes no time at all to make. Plus, do you really want all that xantham gum, potassium sorbate, and “natural” flavoring they pack in that tub? I know I don’t!
Yields 1 ¼ cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 cup chickpeas
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp tahini
1/8 tsp salt, to taste
1. In a food processor, add garlic and lemon juice until blended.
2. Strain and discard garlic. Add lemon juice back to the food processor.
3. Toast sesame seeds over medium heat until slightly browned and they start exuding their fragrance ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they “toast” and don’t burn.
4. Add toasted sesame seeds, chickpeas, cumin, tahini, and salt to lemon juice and puree until smooth.
The Cook’s 2 Cents:
· I used canned chickpeas in this dish because, well, it’s just easier (Don’t judge me! I’m currently writing this post 8 hours before you’re reading it!). However, if you want to use dried to save on the sodium content that’s perfectly fine. It’ll mean you’ll have to soak them overnight until they start to soften. Then they need to be cooked (see my point on the canned goods?).
· Straining the garlic is a MUST. I tried to save time thinking, “Hey I love garlic, lemme just leave it in!”. No. It’s way too strong this way. Strain it!
· If you read the ingredients in tahini it says “ground sesame seeds”. Sesame seeds tend to be a bit oily and thus, higher in fat and calorie content. To make the amount of tahini that most hummus recipes call for, you need an enormous amount of sesame seeds. This recipe uses both tahini and sesame seeds because, although tahini has an amazing flavor, it also has a tremendous amount of fat! And honestly, you don’t need that much to create a similar flavor profile. So… I’ve mixed the two to create a less fatty, flavorful recipe.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: ¼ cup
Servings Per Recipe: 5
Calories: 229 Fat: 9g Sodium: 70mg Carbs: 29g Fiber: 8g Sugars: 4g Protein: 10g
