I've never had hummus before but I know it's made of chickpeas. I actually never eat chickpeas yet felt compelled to buy some a few months ago and I still haven't used it. So, what are your hummus recipes?

Also, how are you supposed to eat it. Do you eat it alone or with something? Thanks!

Hummus - Chick Pea Dip

Hummus, or houmous, is an Eastern Mediterranean dip, very common in Greece and Lebanon as well as a number of other countries. A heavenly blend of chick peas, garlic...

Yield about 2 cups
Time 10 minutes (+ chick pea soaking and cooking)
Tools

* food processor or potato masher and bowl

Ingredients

* 2 c chick peas, soaked and cooked or canned, drained and rinsed
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 T lemon juice
* ¼ c water
* 3 T tahini (sesame paste)
* ½ to 1 t cumin
* ½ t paprika

Directions

Place the cooked chick peas (it's ok if they're still warm) in the food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, and water. Process for about a minute, until smooth. If too thick, add more water.

Stir in the tahini and spices, taste, and add more lemon juice/tahini/cumin/paprika as appropriate.

Spread the hummus into a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with lemon slices and minced parsley.

Serve chilled, with warm pita bread and/or fresh vegetables.
Notes Hummus is eaten in many different countries, so there are a lot of variations, especially in spices. Experiment to find what you like best.

From http://veggietable.allinfo-about.com...es/hummus.html

I use it as a sandwich spread (on bread, pita, or tortilla), as a dip for vegetables or tortilla chips, or even on some good crackers.

Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip or spread. Eat it on crackers, wedges of pita bread or as a dip for celery and carrot sticks.

HUMMUS
(Low Fat Version)

3 garlic cloves, minced (more if you like)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper
1 19oz can chickpeas, drained

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Chill.

1/4 cup = 1 POINT

Source: 100 best WW Recipes - http://www.davidcenko.com/adele/100ww.doc

Oooh! I love hummus!

If the garlic-y taste is too strong/spicy for you, try roasting the garlic first.
It's also popular to roast some red peppers and add that in. *drools*

I also make a hummus-like spread using any canned bean (even canned baked beans, although I like white canneli beans the best).

I just put the drained beans and seasonings in a food processor and add a little lemon juice, diet mayonaise, or salsa) then whir it around until it's smooth. I don't use a recipe (and it turns out great every time). I sometimes add a little onion, celery, or green pepper.

Colleen

Thanks for the ideas guys. I don't have a food processor though. Can it be made by hand?

Yes, it will be a little chunkier, but you can just mash it with a fork. Or put all the ingredients in a plastic ziploc bag, squeeze out the extra air, and make sure it's zipped up tight! Then you can mush it with a rolling pin, a heavy glass or pan, or even the palm of your hand. If you make it this way, snip the corner of the bag and use it like a pastry bag to squeeze it into a bowl.

I usually eat it on Wasa bread (a low-cal whole wheat super high fiber cracker) or toast, but sometimes use it as a dip for raw veggies.

It's also great spread on small flour tortilla and baked in the oven. (Use cooking spray on the bottom of the tortilla, it gets crisp and flaky, ummmm). Careful of this way though, it's a bit addicting.

Hi

You could actually smash up the chick peas a bit then if you have a blender you could use that instead of a food processor.

I love to use hummus instead of mayo...it is yummy!

It makes for a nice snack. I've found the best tortilla's made by Latortilla Factory, they are whole wheat and with lots of fibre. YUM YUM.

There is a very good hummos that you can buy already prepared in a can.
Any middle eastern food store has this and some grocery stores carry it in the ethnic food department.

The brand is Cortas. The product is called "hummos tahina (chick pea dip)"

there is a website for cortas which has some middle eastern recipes
www.cortas.com.lb

Also, Pulix stores carry a hummos in the deli section which is decent.

I never had luck making hummus in a blender or without a good food processor. I tried using one of the mini-food processors and it just came out like gravel. Now that I have a REAL food processor, I'm going to try making it at home.

But, most grocery stores also sell little containers of it. It's not as smooth as restaurant-made hummus, but it'll do in a pinch!