Amaze Your Tastebuds In Minutes!

Posted by Lesli

There are some foods that are so undeniably versatile that they just make me so happy when I think of them. One such food is chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans). I always have chickpeas in my house because I know if I am totally blank as to what to make for supper, I can just open a can of these magical beans, add some rice or bread and I have a complete protein, meaning I'm eating healthy and all I did was pry open a can o' beans.

Chickpeas can also be added to most any type of salad - green, Greek or potato - chickpeas are inexpensive, yet pack huge potential as an ingredient in everything from a spicy Indian Chana Masala to the Middle Eastern Falafel. Chickpeas are your friends. Of course, chickpeas make Hummus the delicious dip/spread that it is.

Hummus has a Greek and Middle Eastern origin. Hummus is chickpeas seasoned with other ingredients, like tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic and lemon juice. You can use it as a dip with tortilla chips and veggies or use it as a spread for a pita bread sandwich. Sometimes I put it in my favourite Lentil Soup to add flavour and richness. Let me share with you a hummus recipe that was labelled Lynn Boston's Hummus when I discovered it on the net a long time ago. Lynn Boston, whoever you are, kudos to you, you make an outstanding hummus. Take a bow...

Lynn Boston's Hummus

1 can of chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. tahini (Sometimes I leave this out and it still tastes great...)
2 cloves of garlic (Add more if you're a garlic freak like me...
1/2 a tomato
1/2" piece of cucumber
1/2 a lemon juiced, plus dig out all of the pulp and put that in there too.
2 T. fresh, chopped parsley (Sometimes I don't have this...)

The magic of this recipe is that you throw everything into your food processor and it turns into this aromatic flavor-drenched mixture in a matter of minutes! (Geez, I think I drooled on my keyboard just thinking about it...) Process until it's mostly blended, scrape down the sides and blend again. I like to leave it with a slight texture as opposed to smooth and creamy.

For a quick and tasty lunch, I like to smear Hummus on pita bread and then layer with thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions. But, sometimes I just eat my hummus straight up with a spoon...

TAGS: Amaze, Chana Masala, Chickpeas, Dip, Falafel, Greek, Hummus, Lunch, Middle Eastern, Pita Bread, Protein, Salad, Spread, Tastebuds
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