Quick Creamy Hummus Spread Recipes

HUMMUS SPREAD

Steps:

• For the beans: Rinse beans and pick over.
• place in a large pot, cover by at-least 2" with water (if you have hard water toss in a pinch of baking soda) Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, turn off stove and let them sit until cooled to room temperature.
• About 2 hours.
• Drain beans and rinse.
• Rinse out pot and return beans, again, cover with water, add garlic and bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer Cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Drain and cool.
• For the Tahini: Place sesame seeds and sesame oil in the food processor, grind until it's formed a paste.
• If it seems dry add some of the olive oil.
• For the Hummus: Add garlic to the hummus and pulse until finely chopped.
• Add beans and turn on processor, drizzle olive oil into processor, allow to run until desired consistency is reached.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse until mixed.
• Optional: You can replace some of the olive oil with a bit of reduced fat sour cream to attain the desired creaminess without as much fat.

CREAMY HUMMUS

Steps:

• Drain the chickpeas, reserving the can liquid and then rinse. Set aside a few whole chickpeas for garnish.
• Put the lemon juice, tahini, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl about halfway through, until thick and very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas in 2 additions, processing until smooth after each addition. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the oil until the mixture is creamy. If the hummus is too thick, adjust the consistency by adding the reserved can liquid a few tablespoons at a time. Season with more salt if desired.
• Spread out the hummus in a shallow serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Dust with paprika and garnish with the reserved chickpeas. Serve with pita chips and vegetables for dipping.

SPICY HUMMUS: QUICK CHICKPEA SPREAD

Steps:

• Combine beans, tahini, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in food processor bowl and grind into a smooth paste. Transfer to a small dip dish and surround spread with warm pita wedges. This recipe makes a great appetizer, or anytime snack.
• Tidbit: this is a fantastic dish to take to a pot luck or block party -- it's always a hit!