Saturday, July 9, 2011

Hummus

Polly, here's the recipe you asked for - I remembered!


Hummus
2 cups cooked, drained garbanzos
3 Tbs. tahini (sesame butter)
juice & zest of 1 lemon
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
3-5 Tbs. olive oil

OK, honestly, I haven't measured ingredients for hummus for years.  I just dump approximate amounts, except for olive oil, in the food processor.  Then I turn it on and drizzle in olive oil until it's spreadable, but not runny.  I taste it and usually add a little more salt and lemon juice.  I err on the acidic side. 

I think not getting out measuring cups and spoons every time I want to cook something is such a shortcut in my kitchen.  And I feel so experienced, cooking by eyeballing and tasting.  Baking is the major exception, however - there is chemistry involved in the amounts of fat, dry ingredients, and leavening.


For the hummus, if you don't have tahini, you could toast sesame seeds and add them, or you could skip the sesame thing altogether.  Tahini is a pantry item for me because we also put it in hot cereal in cold weather.


My sister in law adds interesting things like sun-dried tomatoes or spinach.  I usually keep mine plain, and then vary what we eat it with.  We usually make openfaced sandwiches with whatever vegetables we have around, although cucumbers and tomatoes are especially nice.

8 comments:

Beth said...

Pass me a pita and some of that hummus! We heart hummus over here and i used to make it all the time! Yum!

And the glasses! Fun! Stepping out! Good for you for doing your homework! I just made the opposite switch after many years - from bold and dark to barely there. Change is fun.

Polly said...

Bless you, Margo!! Thank you so much!! Can't wait to try it. My hummus always seems a bit bland. I think I'm not giving it enough acidity, or something.

I take your approach with cooking as well. Please, no precision in measurements. I sort of cook from the hip. Sometimes it ends in brilliance and sometimes not, but it is so much fun!

Thank you again...ever so much! Will try to whip this up this week!!

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

I made your hummus this morning. Yummo... and so easy, too!

BLD in MT said...

I can remember a time when cooking without measurements seemed like some sort of magic sorcery that I would never get a handle on. Ha! Practice make prefect! Okay, not perfect, but yummy and certainly edible!

When we don't have tahini we use peanut butter. Either way I can't get enough!

Margo said...

BLD, peanut butter is a clever substitute! thank you.

BLD in MT said...

I am perhaps a PB-aholic. I learned about using PB in hummus from a cookbook called Peanut Butter Planet in which they use PB in every recipe. When I found the cookbook in the $5 clearance bin at the bookstore I felt like it was just MEANT for me.

Though the whole book was good, the hummus recipe is probably the one that makes the most frequent appearance at our house because, quite frankly, tahini can be expensive!

Chinamama4 said...

Been saving this recipe in my "To Try" file and am going to make it today! Question: "cooked" garbanzos - please define "cooked". Right out of the can, or should I do something to them first? Can't wait to make this... :)
chinamama4@gmail.com

Margo said...

Hi China!
Yes, the garbanzos in the can are cooked. I say it that way in my recipe in case people are cooking their own dry beans at home. Probably garbanzos come in a 15-ounce can, which is probably close to 2 cups.