I used to put a bib on JJ that said “I only cry when ugly people hold me.”  I am lucky that my people understand my snarky sense of humor, at the very least tolerate it, so this did not dissuade them from holding him.  But when he did cry–well, it sent a subtle message–there is something fundamentally unlikable about you because JJ never cries when he’s held by strangers. This of course was not true.  But it was fun to watch the quiet panic and worry set in.

I feel this way about hummus.  If you don’t like hummus, there is something wrong with you and you would benefit from some thoughtful introspection.  But don’t blame the hummus.  I mean who doesn’t like the nutritious value of chickpeas, its creamy texture once pureed and the blank canvas you now have to work and get creative with, with whatever flavor you desire.

I recently found my hummus mojo with my own experimental creation , the spicy sun dried tomato hummus.  It had the tangy zip from the sun dried tomatoes and the pungent bite, but in a good way, from the garlic.  All that was smoothed out though by the creamy nuttiness of the pureed garbanzo beans mixed with some tahini.

Spicy Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans washed and drained, 15 oz*
4T sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
4T tahini paste**
3T oil from sun dried tomatoes
3T lemon juice
1 t spicy pepper flakes, adjust based on your preference
salt to taste

Procedure

Drain and rinse your canned garbanzo beans before using to rid it of that gloppy gel-like thing it’s been sitting in.  Put all but 1 1/2 T of the sun dried tomatoes in a food processor.  Puree till smooth.  Take 1 T of sun dried tomatoes and mix in with the pureed mixture–the whole bits of sun dried tomato is a nice texture contrast to the creamy hummus.  Top the hummus with the remaining sundried tomatoes, oil and a dusting of paprika and spicy pepper flakes.

*Some say that garbanzo beans need to be peeled in order to get that ultra creamy mixture.  I say, ain’t no body got time for that.  And it’s not necessary.

**Tahini paste is essentially toasted sesame seeds ground up and mixed with oil to create a paste.  You’ll find it in the Middle Eastern section of your market, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.   You can omit the tahini paste but your hummus will not be as creamy or complex in flavor.