Hummus and Tahini: What it Is, How to Make it and How to Eat It

Hummus is a Middle Easter dish that's gaining popularity in the U.S. You can now buy it in many grocery stores in several varieties. This dish had been around so long, no one is quite sure how it originated. It's typically served on flat bread. Serve it on, tortillas or wraps by simply spreading it on and rolling it up. You can add lettuce, tomato, black olives and it's a great brown bag lunch, especially for thevegetarian or even vegan in your home. Hummus is also a great dip for crackers and tortillas so can be used for entertaining guests, or feeding hungry teenagers. Though it's readily available in the supermarkets, you can also make it at home for a fraction of the cost and it will take only a few minutes.

Ingredients

1 can chick peas or garbanzo beans

½ cup lemon juice

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon slat

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

½ cup sesame paste or tahini. (Optional)

Directions

You can of course use dry beans if you prefer but soaking them overnight will add to the preparation time. This recipe will make about an 8 ounce container of hummus, similar to the size sold in the stores. The directions are simple, put everything in the blender and blend. It really is that simple. On the above list of ingredients, tahini is listed as optional. It really isn't optional, as hummus is supposed to contain tahini, but the first time I made it, I didn't have any and the hummus still tasted great. The tahini adds the nutty, sesame taste associated with hummus.

This recipe is easy to change depending on your taste. Above is the plain recipe. Add red peppers to the blender and change the color and the taste. If you add an eggplant, it becomes baba ganoush, another popular Middle Eastern dish. Double the recipe above and leave half plain and add something to the other half.

Hummus is an excellent food for you body. Hummus is a good source of vitamin B6, it's low in fat, cholesterol and calories and a good source of fiber. The fat in hummus is the good fat, a source ofOmega 3. Much of the nutritional value actually comes from the tahini so add it in if at all possible. Tahini, popular also in Middle Eastern and Asian cooking is also widely available in supermarkets. You can also make your own. The recipe follows.

Ingredients

2 ½ oz of sesame seeds, hulled

¼ cup of water

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch of cayenne

¼ teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic

Pinch of pepper

Directions

Mix the water and sesame seeds in a blender and blend for a few minutes on low speed until pasty. Add the lemon and blend some more. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Tahini is an excellent source of fatty acids and can be used like butter on bread and crackers. Add some oil, vinegar and soy sauce and you have a delicious tahini salad dressing.