Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Hummus Two Ways

Tried a couple of new recipes for our Halloween shindig the other night, including a couple of variations on traditional hummus.  And the experience taught me a valuable lesson.  I will never buy prepared hummus at the ridiculous prices that you pay at the market.  Instead, I will keep a can of chickpeas on hand and, with a few other pantry ingredients that I'll keep on hand, whip up a batch at will.

Now, these recipes as published in Food Network Magazine, would make a VAT of hummus.  Even after I hlaved them there was too much.  So, unless you're feeing a Mediterranean army, use these versions that I have cut down even further.

That said, these are fun to set out side by side and compare.

Buffalo Wing Hummus
(Makes a little over 2 cups.)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (Reserve 1/2 cup liquid.)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons cayenne hot sauce
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
Generous pinch of kosher salt

Place all ingredients, including 1/4 cup reserved liquid, in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.  Add additional reserved juice if necessary to achieve right consistency.

(I also think this would be good garnished with a generous sprinkling of blue cheese....)

Pizza Hummus
(Makes a little over 2 cups.)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cloves garlic
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (Reserve 1/2 cup liquid.)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Generous pinch of kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the tomato paste, oregano and basil and cook until toasted, aout 2 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a food processor. (I'll admit that, in a rush to get things ready for the party, I skipped this step and threw everything into the food processor at once.) Add other ingredients, including 1/4 cup reserved liquid, in a food processor. Puree until smooth and creamy. Add additional reserved juice if necessary to achieve right consistency.   

1 comment:

Jenelle said...

I love these variations! I have been making my own hummus for years now and agree 100% with you. I will not pay those ridiculous prices in the store for something that is so simple to make myself. To date I have only made the more standard variation, Jalapeno Cilantro, roasted garlic, roasted bell pepper... I use hummus as a way to get my children to eat their veggies. I think carrots and celery will be a perfect dipper for the Buffalo version. Thanks for the suggestion!

Oh! One last thing. Have you tried cooking the garbanzo bean from dry? This is another great cost savings and is so simple. I've started cooking my beans 1 day ahead of time in my crock pot.