Easy Inexpensive Homemade Hummus

Hummus is delicious and very good for you. It can be adapted for almost any taste. andv it is MUCH less expensive to make it at home then it is to purchase. Throw in the fact that you get to control all of the ingredients and that by making it at home you will not be contributing to landfills and it is a no brainer.

I am going to give you a basic hummus recipe and then at the end I am going to give you a list of add-ins and substitutions along with a few idea's of how it can be served and enjoyed.

Remember to always use the best ingredients you can afford and in my opinion always go with organic. The quality of the ingredients in a recipe like hummus is even more important because there are so few so each one is very important

Ingredients (basic recipe)

Two Cans of Chick-Peas - rinsed and drained

1/4 - 1/3 of a cup of olive oil

3 - 5 cloves of garlic - chopped

Spices - once again cooks choice - anything that smells and sounds good to you - some suggestions include: cayenne pepper, white pepper, basil, thyme, onion powder, curry powder, turmeric, rosemary (use a light touch this is a heavy herb) and the list goes on. This is an inexpensive recipe the worst things that happens is you end up with a two dollar disaster and you just throw it away and start again. This is one of the most important things you need to know if you want to be a great cook. You will make things that are terrible - that's life you will also have experiences where a "mistake" may end up being one of the best things you ever created. Remember cooking is an art. Enjoy yourself

Put all the ingredients in a food processeror and blend away

You now have hummus - many people add tahini - I am not a fan of tahini - covers the taste of the chick peas and garlic not to mention it is very high in calories - with that said if you like tahini - add it - always remember you are the cook - recipes are guidelines not directions - if you are going to add tahini use between a 1/4 to a 1/3 of a cup

When you are blending your ingredients you get to decide if you like your hummus chunky or smooth. All decisions made by the cook. If you like your hummus smooth you may need to add some additional olive oil.

Now here are some suggestions for additions

Roasted Peppers - make sure they are drained - you do not want to add to much liquid. You need to remember this for all of your additions - if the hummus gets to watery you may need to use additional chick peas to tighten it up - easy - just have a third can on hand and the stuff is so delicious it is not like you can ever have too much

Artichokes - small container - I like the ones that are packed in oil with some spices - very delicious

Marinated eggplant - also delicious - with this said the eggplant is usually packed in oil and can be easily liquefied so add the eggplant before the olive oil and then add your olive oil to taste and texture

Fresh Oranges or Orange Juice - sounds crazy but it is delicious - so good I have eaten it with a spoon standing in front of the refrigerator door

Live on the edge - try whatever sounds good to you.

Serving Suggestions

Hummus is great for a party. You can put it in a beautiful bowl and surround it with fresh vegetables and pita chips if you have used an unusual ingredient put this somewhere on the platter or bowl to give you guests a hint of what it is they are eating.

You can make a great sandwich with hummus. Nice hearty bread, huge slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, bean sprouts a big scoop of hummus and some hot sauce. YUMMY