Hummus love

In the spirit of my new hobby, this is another post about making sauces and condiments from scratch.  I want to pass along my own concocted recipe for an easy hummus.  Hummus is one item that I will no longer buy pre-made from grocery stores because it's so simple.  Jon and I really got into hummus when I gave up dairy because hummus was a good swap in a sandwich for cheese or as a dairy-free snack.  The hummus we used to buy from one of the British grocers was so good; creamy and flavorful and it became a household staple for us.  So, when we moved to Las Vegas, I picked up a container of your average pre-made hummus and we were sorely disappointed!  It was drier and a lot less tasty.  This is when I looked up the ingredients for basic hummus and made my own.  Here's my own version of hummus and really it can be altered or tailored to suit how you like it best:

Chipotle-Cilantro Hummus
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 c. tahini butter (sesame seed butter, usually found near peanut or almond butters)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp. salt
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 chipotle peppers canned in adobe sauce (depending on your spice preference)
1/3 c. chopped fresh

Olive oil

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor and then add olive oil to desired creaminess.  This is isn't an exact science, but if I had to guess I'd say about 1/4-1/3c. olive oil.  See, simple. :)

This recipe makes about 18 servings (2 tbsp per. serving)

If you want to make variations on this, omit the peppers and cilantro and add your flavors such as kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, or fresh herbs.

Ok, so that's the hummus recipe but I also want to share this page from this month's, Cooking Light, which featured 4 delicious sandwich recipes that all require....hummus!  My favorite is the "Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps".

http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii623/hope_friedman/HummusSandwiches.jpg