Re: Hummus

[Colleen]

I would like to make my own hummus. I did a search and found a couple recipes, one of them was included with a club sandwich. I sounds great.

The question...I don't own a food processor. I attempted to make hummus before with my blender and it came out lumpy. (I also wasn't using a recipe so I don't know if I did it right)

Can I make hummus with a blender? or should I stay away from that idea? Any suggestions would be useful.

Thanks
Colleen

[emilycat]

Colleen,

I love making my own hummus...so much better than anything I could buy. And Mollie Katzen's recipes are really yummy.

Anyway, I always use a blender, and it turns out wonderfully...then again, I like my hummus chunky, because I think it makes it more substantial. You can always take out your agression by pounding the darned chickpeas to death and then tossing them in the blender...if you're using enough lemon juice and tahini and what not, putting them through the puree cycle should do the trick.

[Colleen]

WOW Emilycat, you are the coolest!!!
I wasn't away from the post for two minutes when I returned and you had already responded. Thanks!

I need to ask you though, who is Mollie Katzen is she affiliated with CL?

Also, I have looked for tahini before to no avail. do you have any suggestions as to where I might find it?

[emilycat]

Colleen,

You must have missed all of the threads raving about her cookbooks! She wrote the lauded Moosewood Cookbook and the Enchanted Broccoli Forest, just to name the most notable...she also started the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca.

Nope, she's not affiliated with CL -- as the advertising police force, I would certainly not plug an affiliation! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

I can find tahini pretty much anywhere around here...Harris Teeter, Publix, certainly if all else failed, Whole Foods or Wellspring...even the Kroger and Publix in the smaller town I grew up in had it.

Maybe it's just hiding from you, but if there are any natural food stores around, you'd be sure to find it there.

Good luck!

Emily

[venus]

Colleen,

My mom made hummus in our blender many, many times when we were kids. The trick is to add a little bit of the water from when you cook the chick peas (or a little plain water) to smooth it out. You also need the appropriate amount of lemon+tahini. Chickpeas from a can mush better than the ones you cook yourself.

You can get tahini at any health food store. It's a "hippie food" staple. Many ethnic stores carry it, since it is really a middle eastern food. In a really good grocery store like Wegmans (I miss Wegmans) they stock it next to the peanut butter.

Mollie Katzen writes the Moosewood cookbooks.

[Wendy w]

I have never used a blender to make hummus as I have a food processor. I use an old Eating Well recipe that uses roasted garlic-yum! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif I second venus'comment on canned chick peas mashing easier. I have attempted to use home cooked ones in the past and the hummus came out lumpy http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif .

[lsdesign]

Blender all the way! My DH makes hummus regularly and uses garlic, tahini, lemon juice. Tahini can be found in the health food section of your grocery store.

[hhcowgirl]

It must depend on the recipe--I also have only made Mollie Katzen's and used my blender and my food processor and both turned out great. I like to add extra lemon juice, though.

[jjf]

would you guys mind posting a few of your favorite hummus recipes? i have tried to make it a couple of times, but i just didn't like the outcome (and i love hummus - can eat the stuff by itself by the spoonfuls - but i refrain http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif
emilycat - i would love your favorite(s) from molly katzen and yours sounds good too wendyw

[lorilei]

This is a good basic recipe for hummus -- a lot of the time I will vary it by adding roasted red pepper, pepper flakes, roasted garlic, chopped fresh mint or ginger...

HUMMUS
2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup roasted tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic (I always use 3-4)
1/4 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Place garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and green onion in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding water if the mixture is too thick.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I serve this with pita chips or veggies, drizzled with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and framed in good quality Greek olives. Leftovers make great sandwiches -- put in pita with cucumbers, tomatoes and a few spinach leaves!

[Wendy w]

I would be glad to post mine but it probably won't be until this weekend sometime. It is a crowd pleaser!

[Lisa_R]

Colleen -

Let me offer a great little tip for you to rid yourself of "lumpy" hummus. Since you don't have a food processor to make it creamy enough for you... I would suggest using chickpea flour rather than whole chickpeas. Actually, this is what most middle eastern restaurants use to get that ULTRA creamy/buttery texture. Give it a try. Hope this helps http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Lisa

[Laura B]

Lisa - What amount of Chickpea flour would you use versus the amount of whole Chickpeas called for in the recipe? Are there any other adjustments you would need to make in order to make the flour work in a regular recipe? Thanks!

I love hummus, as well. The only hummus I have ever made myself was from a boxed mix, though. This post has inspired me to try actually making it from scratch!

[luv2cook]

i didn't have much luck with the blender. Now use the the FP. Be careful with the tahini. If you use too much, it can overpower the hummus. Start with half of what recipe calls for and add as you go...just to be safe...

[JeanneL]

If you're using a blender and canned garbanzo beans, use about 1/2 of one can's juice as well. It'll make it smoother. Also, kick it up a notch with more garlic and some chopped scallions!

[Wendy w]

jjf,

Here is my Hummus recipe as promised:
From Eating Well Recipe Rescue Cookbook

1 head garlic
1 19-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned work best)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley plus a sprig for garnish
salt to taste
paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Remove the Loose papery outside skin from the garlic head without separating the cloves. Slice off the top 1/2 inch. Wrap in a small square of foil and roast for about 40 minutes or until the garlic is very soft. Unwrap and cool slightly. Separate the cloves & pee1.

In a food processor, puree the garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice, soy sauce, tahini and about 2 Tbsp. water (enough to make a fairly firm dip). Transfer to bowl, stir in parsley and season with salt. The hummus may be made ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Garnish with a sprig of parsley and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve surrounde by fresh vegetables and pita bread. Makes 1 2/3 cups.

24 calories per tablespoon: 1 G protien, 1 G fat, 4 G carbohydrate, 20 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

I have never tried it in a blender but I'm sure that it would work since there is quite a bit of liquid in the recipe.

[This message has been edited by Wendy w (edited 01-15-2001).]

[Colleen]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and comments. I definitely will try this hummus thing again, in the blender. maybe I didn't use enough liquid, maybe my blender isn't powerful enough, who knows.

As far as Mollie Katzen? I actually own a couple of Moosewood cookbooks, as I went to college in Ithaca. The restaurant is very nice, if anyone is ever around that area.

Thanks, again everyone.
Colleen