Hummus ... the real stuff

As you may or may not know, I'm Lebanese. Lebanese people MAKE and EAT hummus like it's our job. Brent, my brother-in-law, always tells me I have another stomach specifically for hummus and pita. I think he's right. I can eat an entire 3 or 4 course meal and enjoy a big beer with it or 3 glasses of water and be STUFFED... but if you put a plate of home made hummus and pita in front of me, I'll have NO problem pounding it down. Why? Well because, if you've ever TASTED home made, real hummus, you know it's probably the greatest taste sensation of all time (besides cheese). If you HAVEN'T had the pleasure of experiencing it, today's your lucky day! I am going to share with you a VERY famous hummus recipe. It's a collaboration of my father's recipe and Brent's recipe:

So here's the trick: all 3 of us use a Vitamix to make our hummus (& everything else). If you don't have a Vitamix, I'd use a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can use your high-speed blender but it'll just take a little more patience and pulsing.

So here's what you need:

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chick peas) WITH the water
• 1/3 cup tahini (I use Ziyad brand but most will do just fine.. by the way, it's sesame seed paste)
• The juice from 2 lemons- approx. 1/4 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove pressed/minced

Start by pouring the beans and water into your mixer and blend with the lemon juice. This step is especially important for those of you using a food processor or regular blender. This will give you a head start on smoothing out the beans and that is KEY. Then add the remaining ingredients; tahini, salt and garlic and blend thoroughly! I mean, blend it until it is SMOOTH & creamy dreamy. Chomping on bits of half blended garbanzo beans isn't EXACTLY the way to enjoy hummus. It should look like this:

Then, put it in the refrigerator (if you can wait) and let it cool. It usually gets a little warm from all the blending. Then, ENJOY! We like to use pita (obviously), carrots, zataar toast, WHATEVER. Don't just think inside the box with hummus. Seriously, it's the best dip for any veggie, chip or toast. We use it as a spread every time we make burgers. We eat it with our eggs and toast in the morning. We use it for EVERYTHING so be creative and adventurous! It can (and should) really become a regular staple in your kitchen. Besides, did you see those ingredients? It's the most basic and healthy of foods! So scoop it up!

Lots of love to everyone and I hope you're enjoying PERFECT, crisp weather like we are here! Happy hummus-ing!

ps- yes, I really did just give up a REAL family recipe. that's a big deal. ;)