Pip's Recipe Pick:
Simple Springtime Hummus Snack
You know we’re keepin’ it fresh with one of our favorite snacks - hummus! And our go-to recipe is packed with tahini, which not only makes it creamier, but it’s an awesome source of fiber, (so important for every diet).
You can easily buy hummus in the grocery store but why spend $4 per container when you can make it from scratch, controlling what’s in it, for a fraction of the price? What’s great is since hummus by itself is pretty bland, when you make your own, you can play around with the flavor. Our recipe for today includes garlic and an everything bagel blend of seasoning we scored at Trader Joe’s to add a little kick.
THE BATTLE OF THE GARBANZO BEAN
Fresh or canned? Fresh or canned? When we started making hummus we of course went for canned because it’s easier that way. But over time we started to wonder, “How long have they been in that can? Eeew!"
So we decided to try making hummus with fresh beans. For anyone who’s tried doing this before you’ll agree that it’s a pain! You have to soak them overnight so they get softer but it’s so easy to forget to do that in the first place or believe it or not, they sometimes start to sprout in the middle of the night so loud that it wakes you up!
No joke. One night Jen woke up after hearing this banging sound in the apartment, (we should also mention that we sleep with a noise maker on so the sound had to be loud). Being the rational, half asleep person she is, she thought someone was breaking into the apartment. With a pounding heart and coat hanger in hand, she peaked around into the living room and saw...nothing. But she heard the bang again. She thought, “Is someone outside the front door?!?!” and tip toed up to the peep hole to take a look. Still nothing. Just as she turned around to go back into the bedroom she heard it again, “Bang!” All of a sudden she realized it was coming from the kitchen and when she turned the light on, it dawned on her that the noise was coming from the bowl that had the garbanzo beans in it! She stood there scratching her head and thought, “I have to Google this” and sure enough…when you soak garbanzo beans they can sprout, causing the shell to crack and make a loud sound.
Annoyed, but relieved no one was in the apartment, she went back to bed determined to find another way to use fresh garbanzo beans without fear of an intruder. But hey, if all else failed she could keep dried beans by her bed and use those instead of a coat hanger for self defense.
After a little research, we found a way and are sharing that below. You can always choose to soak your beans overnight…but be warned!
THE RECIPE:
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cook time: Varies, (see "Prep Those Beans" below)
Serves: About 10 servings (enough for Matt & Jen to have everyday). Half this recipe if you're just making for yourself.
Springtime Hummus Ingredients:
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1 cup dried garbanzo beans, (or 1 can pre-soaked/cooked)
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1 small lemon, juiced
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2 cloves garlic
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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4 tablespoons tahini paste
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4 tablespoons water (add as you blend for desired consistency)
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Salt and pepper to taste
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Trader Joe's Sesame Seasoning Blend, "Everything But the Bagel" flavor to taste
Prep Those Beans:
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Option 1: Canned - Drain and rinse well.
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Option 2: Soak overnight - Rinse and put in a bowl, adding enough water so the beans are covered. Let soak overnight. When you’re ready to make your hummus, drain the beans and add to a pot with more water. Bring to a boil for 1/2 an hour or until beans are tender. Drain and let cool before moving on to next steps.
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***Option 3 (recommended): Slow cooker - Rinse beans and put in a crock pot. Cover with water and cook on low for six hours. Drain and let cool before moving on to next steps.
To Make:
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Once beans have been drained and cooled, add to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients (except water).
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Pip's tip: Tahini is pretty sticky and hard to get off of the spoon. An awesome trick is to first measure out the olive oil and then use the same spoon to measure the tahini. The oily spoon keeps the tahini from sticking!
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Blend for 1 minute. Add water as necessary until you get your desired consistency.
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Serve with veggies, warm pita and enjoy!