Friday, January 28, 2011

Something Extra: Cucumber Hummus

This Christmas, I got a food processor and one of the first things that Chase and I did with it was attempt to make hummus. The first attempts were satisfying enough (we certainly ate it all), but we couldn't quite get the texture right.

Finally, in a stroke of genius, Chase suggested we add cucumber to the mix. It worked! Granted, the flavor is a little untraditional, but it's absolutely delicious.

We also used peanut butter instead of tahini, a traditional ingredient that's about 10 dollars for a tiny jar. For us, the peanut butter substitution was great, but if you happen to have tahini or gobs of food money laying around, give tahini a try.

Have a great weekend and happy cooking!

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Cucumber Hummus


Ingredients
1 can chick peas
½ cucumber, peeled
1 Tbsp peanut butter
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, chopped (brown in skillet first for a milder flavor)
approx. 1 Tbsp lemon juice
approx. ½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Toasted pita bread or pita chips

Directions
1. Add chickpeas, peanut butter, garlic, basil, and oregano to food processor. Blend until mixed.
2. With the food processor running, add about half of the olive oil into the processor through the tube and mix.
3. Add lemon juice and cucumber, cut into small chunks, into the food processor. Blend until the cucumber is processed and blended in.
4. With the food processor running, add the remaining olive oil into processor, until the mixture becomes smooth. Add a little more or less oil to get to your desired consistency.
5. Add salt, pepper, and additional lemon or spices to taste and blend.
6. Serve with toasted pita bread or pita chips.

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