Simple Healthy Delicious Hummus

Hummus is a simple and delicious dip which can be a snack, a meal, or an appetizer. I make it pretty often and my kids love that I serve it to them atop a plate full of fun stuff to dip it in. Hummus is a great time to try out giving kids a muffin tin meal; you put the hummus in one muffin hole and a variety of dipping items in the others.

Other things I like to do with hummus in house:

• Make wraps with hummus and various salad items.
• Use hummus instead of mayonnaise on various sandwiches.
• Serve it with: tortilla chips, carrots, raw broccoli, raw green beans, apple slices, wheat thins, pita bread warmed in the microwave with a moist papertowel on top.

It makes a great portable snack for a long day out with kids (or hungry adults for that matter). I put a little clear wrap over that hummus dipping bowl, and threw it our our bag to go to the playground with.

My Simple and Versatile Hummus Recipe:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 can chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans)- drained from can and rinsed with cold water
  
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup tahini (optional) Tahini is ground sesame seeds, packaged in jar that looks similar to peanut butter-- sometimes found in the organic or health food aisle. I highly recommend using it if you can.
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A couple squeezes of a lemon, or a few drops of lemon juice from the bottle
• A small cup of cold water to add if necessary

The Method:

1. Put drained chick peas, garlic cloves, tahini (optional), salt, and a little lemon juice, and 1-2 teaspoons water into a food processor, blender, or mini food processor and go, go, go.
2. Scape the sides and give it another whirl, if too stiff add another couple teaspoons of water and repeat. I would compare the desired consistency to soft serve ice cream-- thin enough to not need a spreader but thick enough to not look soupy.
3. If you want to dress it up a little sprinkle a pinch of paprika or parsley on top. I don't do that when I'm serving it to my preschoolers-- but do it as you see fit :).