Hummus and Pita Chips

Okay, I've had an infatuation with hummus since I first discovered it when we were living in New Orleans.  Though it has become a popular item, easily located in grocery stores, I still find that it generally goes untouched when I carry it with me to potlucks.  Since I can't imagine that people would actively dislike hummus, I'm assuming that the hummus suffers neglect because it's unfamiliar -- a potluck outsider, if you will.  I do think, however, that hummus deserves a place on the buffet table, right alongside the cocktail wienies and sausage balls, so please allow me to extol the virtues of hummus for a moment.

Hummus is a puree made from chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and tahini paste. Some versions also include roasted red peppers and seasonings. The puree is high in fiber and low in fat. Hummus offers a healthy snack when eaten in moderation. 

Prepared hummus is a dip or spread eaten with vegetables or on appetizer toasts and crackers. Hummus also works well as a spread on sandwiches instead of high fat dressings.

Nutrition Information

One serving of hummus contains approximately 25 calories, with 12 calories coming from fat. Hummus nutrition data may vary depending on the amount of olive oil used in the preparation. Prepared hummus contains approximately 2 g of carbohydrates per serving, or 1% of the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates. Hummus is high in fiber, with each serving containing 1 g. There is no sugar in hummus. The Mayo Clinic reports that the high fiber found in chickpeas helps regulate blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. There is approximately 1 g of protein in each serving of hummus.

Read more about the vitamins and minerals found in hummus: http://www.livestrong.com/article/280687-nutritional-value-of-hummus/#ixzz1nzOOSSDc

So, let's make some yummy, good-for-you hummus!

You need the following:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed (the photo above shows two cans because I doubled the recipe.  Have I mentioned that I love hummus?)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for serving

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (I don't know why I left this out of the photo above.  Maybe it's because I was subconscously feeling guilty about planning to use bottled lemon juice.)

2 Tbs. tahini paste (this will be the most difficult item to locate.  In my store, it's found with the jarred olives and roasted red peppers)

1 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. paprika 

In a food processor, puree all ingredients besides paprika until creamy and smooth.  Add 1 to 2 Tbs. water to achieve the desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkly with paprika before serving with veggies and pita chips.  What's that?  How do you make pita chips?  Funny you should ask. . .

Homemade Pita Chips

You will need the following:

a bag of pita pockets

olive oil

garlic salt

(I've also made this with dry italian dressing mix packets.  It looks prettier because the chips have the green flecks on them, but I really think it tastes just as good with only the garlic salt and is definitely cheaper.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Open up pockets and cut pitas into chip-sized pieces.  Spread on baking sheets with the inside or rough side up.  Brush the pita chips with olive oil and sprinkly with garlic salt.

Bake for 15 minutes or until crunchy and lightly browned.

Enjoy!