I’ve been putting off writing my first blog post for a while. The list of excuses ranging from: I don’t know what to write, I’m not comfortable with my camera yet, No one even knows about my blog. The list goes on and on. This morning as I was skimming through articles on starting a blog, I stumbled upon this blog post. The message resonated with me and it was all the encouragement I needed. The blog post goes over all the excuses that I’ve made for myself and then points out why all of them are irrelevant. With that being said, it’s time for me to stop making excuses about putting off my first post.

CLASSIC OLIVE OIL HUMMUS

Hummus is one of my fridge stables that I make weekly to use as a dip, spread, salad accompaniment, or topping for a veggie burger. A basic recipe provides a neutral base for various flavor and spice combinations to fit the dish or flavor profile you’re trying to achieve. Yes, nowadays you can go into practically any place and find a hummus available for purchase. Quick and convenient. But the taste of homemade hummus is something special. Plus, is it quite rewarding watching others devour it while ranting and raving and asking for the recipe!

Hummus Nutrition

Hummus can be a good source of healthy fat because most are made with both olive oil and tahini. My recipe omits the tahini and just uses olive oil for a more neutral taste. The base of the hummus is made from chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans or Bengal gram. These legumes that are known for their high protein and fiber content and are a dense source of nutrients such as iron, B-6 and magnesium. For 1 cup of cooked chickpeas there are 270 kcal, 4 g of fat, 15 g of protein, and 14 g of fiber. This serving provides 71% of folate, 11% of vitamin B-6, 26% of iron, and 84% of manganese.

This recipe starts off with a simple chickpea and olive oil base. While traditional hummus uses tahini to provide creaminess and slightly bitter nuttiness, I chose to omit the tahini for simplicity and a more neutral taste. Other than that, I kept the rest of the ingredients similar to traditional hummus. The lemon juice, garlic and salt give it a hint of flavor that makes for a thick, creamy dip or accompaniment to practically many meal.

This simple hummus pairs great with grilled veggies! Try using is as a spread to make a hearty sandwich or adding it on top a salad for an added creaminess. What is your favorite way to use hummus?

Classic Olive Oil Hummus

A simple hummus recipe made with olive oil, hints of garlic, lemon and cayenne pepper that give it a subtle savory flavor.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2, 15 oz cans garbanzo beans

• 1/8 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup filtered water

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 garlic cloves (2 tsp equivalents)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Open cans and pour beans into a strainer. Rinse under running water.

2. Place rinsed beans in a food processor along with the olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice and salt and cayenne pepper.

3. Turn on the food processor until you’ve reached a smooth and creamy consistency. You may need to stop the food processor at some point it and scape down the sides so that all of that ingredients get pureed.

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