HUMMUS

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I can remember when I was younger hummus was a special treat in my household. I am not sure if hummus was as readily available as it is now. But we only had hummus in the house when my dad would come back from the speciality grocery store or this Greek restaurant we frequented in downtown St. Louis. When he would bring home the hummus we would devour it within 24 hours. It was such a welcomed treat.

When I got older I started seeing it everywhere and commercially packaged. As great as those hummuses are, there is nothing like fresh hummus, it has simple ingredients, no preservatives, and it's flavorful. Making hummus is so easy, toss everything in a blender or food processor and you got yourself a delicious spread.

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ingredients

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
3/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling for garnish
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Parsley leaves, chopped for garnish

preparation

Add chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender, and process. Slowly add chickpea liquid until smooth puree appears. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Transfer to a bowl, make a well and drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and some parsley.

Optional: serve with fried chickpeas.