Recipe: Creamy Hummus and Homemade Tahini (blender)

CREAMY HUMMUS

"It took me five years to figure out how to get my hummus dip as creamy as the hummus at my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, the Mediterranean Cruise in Eagan, Minnesota. Actually, I got so bummed out that I stopped even trying for about two years, since it always came out chewy and pithy.

However, while blending up some pesto last week I came to a jarring realization. In order to unlock the secret of truly creamy, succulent hummus:

USE A BLENDER! Annihilator setting! You can use a food processor, but the hummus won't be quite a creamy. No matter how hard you try.

A blender will yield perfect hummus, every time. Just remember to add the ingredients in the correct order."

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water (as needed)
1/4 cup tahini*
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (16 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Put lemon juice, 1/3 cup warm water, tahini and garlic in food processor. Add a little salt and pepper. Start BLENDER and let it run, adding a few beans at a time. Mixture will start to emulsify. Continue until all beans are used, adding the remaining warm water as needed for consistency. Use a spatula to ensure that all the garbanzos get crushed

Put hummus in fridge to chill, overnight ideally.

*If you can't find tahini in the local grocer's or health food store, you can try to make it yourself. I never have, but here is a recipe should work.

HOMEMADE TAHINI

4 cups sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread out seeds on a cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently.

Process in blender or food processor, adding oil slowly until it forms a smooth paste.

From: Marie/Me - 02-1200