Monday, January 24, 2011

Anti-Vampire Creamy Hummus

So one thing I'm tired of is store bought hummus. Its always so bland and unsmooth. This recipe is fairly simple and will keep Edward Cullen and his crew of vampires away, so it makes it all the better! If its too hot for you, feel free to lower the garlic level.  This recipe is perfected to your desires WITH PRACTICE more than others. You really have to experiment with the ingredient amounts until you get a dish you're satisfied with. This recipe can be made a day in advance, which I would recommend if you're preparing a dinner party, you want to save as much time as possible on the day of. Just garnish it all right before serving.

3-5 cloves garlic, crushed & peeled
1 can chickpeas
2 tbsp tahini
1 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp lemon juice (just under one lemon approx.)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 dashes worcestershire sauce (if desired)
2+ dashes hot sauce (if desired)

I am a huge garlic lover, so sometimes I go beyond this recipe and use up to 8 cloves. However I know not everyone is up for the heat like I am, so use as much or as little as you please.
  1. Crush the garlic with the side of your chefs knife, peel and remove stems. Place them into your food processor and turn it on to mince. This saves the time of having to mince them with your knife, and you need your food processor anyhow, so you may as well save your self some time and effort.
  2. Drain the water-brine from your can of chickpeas INTO A CUP OR BOWL! Set the brine aside, you'll need it in a bit. Add the lonesome chickpeas and your tahini into your food processor with your minced garlic in it. Turn on your processor and puree. Take off the lid and scrape the edges down with a rubber spatula.
  3. Turn on your processor again, and as its blending, add your lemon juice, olive oil and worcestershire and hot sauce, should they be desired. I prefer to use fresh lemon juice, just make sure no seeds get in! I recommend using some worcestershire and hot sauce, but the choices are yours. For hot sauce I would suggest either Tabasco or Louisiana's. 
  4. Add your set-aside brine bit by bit until you've reached a desired creamy-ness.
  5. Though I did give a suggested measurement for pepper, I suggest adding it bit by bit, stopping in between additions and tasting until you are pleased with the hot-ness of it. Remember to keep scraping down the edges with your spatula.
  6. When your hummus is finally to your satisfaction, pour into a serving dish and cool in the fridge to add firmness and that sharp, cool taste. Right before serving, you can decorate your dish with some fresh-ground coarse black pepper, olives, hot peppers, sliced bell peppers, whatever you want! Serve with fluffy, toasted pita. 
  7. **If you've got the grill already fired up, here's an interesting way to toast your pita; apparently its very common in Greece. Brush several pieces of pita with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt, and toast on the grill until desired done-ness (about a minute per side before in burns).

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