regular hummus

Here is my plain hummus recipe. I like this more and more as my taste buds change. Okay, this recipe looks almost identical to leangreenmama's, but I promise I didn't steal it. Over time, I finally learned how to do this using sesame seeds instead of store-bought tahini. You have to use the blender for this. It makes a real creamy hummus.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chick peas or 1 can

juice of one lemon

1/4 cup sesame seeds (raw, unhulled)

1 tsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce (optional)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1-4 garlic cloves

If using dried chick peas, soak overnight, then cook for 4 hours. or quick soak by boiling in water, then letting sit for an hour. You can pressure cook them in about 12 minutes I think.

I like to cook the garlic so it doesn't taste so strong. This worked well for me: put the garlic in a metal measuring cup or some tiny pot you can put in the oven. Add part of the lemon juice to cover. Bake in the oven for, I don't know, 10-20 minutes, until you just start to smell the garlic.

Next, the sesame seeds. Rinse them and put them in the blender. Add the lemon juice, some cooking liquid from the chickpeas, maybe 1/3 cup, and a few chickpeas, maybe 1/4 cup. Blend up. If you need more volume, add more water and chickpeas, but not too much. Let this blend for a few minutes so it starts to thicken--that's when the sesame seeds are well blended. Then add everything else. Add the bean juice as needed to reach your desired consistency.