Hummus

Yesterday we had a family picnic at my aunt's house. The Evite instructed cousins over 30 to bring a side dish, and under 30 an appetizer or dessert.

I couldn't decide. Dessert or appetizer.

I ended up making both. In my quest for a Lemon Squares recipe, I came across Lemon - Garlic Hummus. As a big fan of hummus and its many uses, I knew I had to try the it.

I perused the ingredients list and had them all in my cupboard - my favorite type of recipes! I also halved the recipe, as making it 3 days before the party would just be a trial.

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
3 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

I added everything to my food processor and held the 'low' button. Instantly the chickpeas mushed and the flavors blended. Occasionally, I ran a spatula around the bowl to get the last few chickpeas mixed in. I pulsated the processor for about 5 minutes all together.

Once the mixture looked well-blended and the consistency I wanted for hummus, I dipped a cracker in for a taste test.

It took a minute for the flavors to come, but it was good. I scooped out the rest of the mixture into a glass bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. I let it sit in the fridge overnight.

By morning the lemon and garlic melded and the bowl was very aromatic when I removed the plastic wrap. Another taste test with a bagel and the flavor was much more immediate.

It turned out that I didn't need to taste test any further, and my meals were all set for the next few days. I let the bowl sit in the fridge 2 more days until the party.


I was wow-ed and inspired by my lemon garlic creation, that I needed to try again. This time I wanted to do Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (my favorite).

The ingredient list was similar - I like to add garlic to almost everything - except I replaced the lemon with roasted peppers.

I bought Sweet Red Roasted Peppers in a jar, instead of hot or spicy. I didn't notice right away, nor did I want to turn the oven on to roast a pepper.

I used about half the jar, maybe too much. The result was a bit runny. I hoped it would firm up in the fridge. It did a bit, but not as much as I wanted. I just went with it.

I made this one on Friday night and put into a plastic container with a cover right away. Similar to the Lemon-Garlic, the flavors were much better the next day.

Both hummus were well received at the picnic, but had to compete with my sister's salsa (she made the Pampered Chef Mango Salsa). I brought about half of each home.

Today I used my Red Pepper Hummus as a spread on my wrap. It add just enough sweetness to my ham salad. Both spreads should be gone in no time, as I enjoy them and will use them in every meal.