hummus-with-fresh-parsley,-paprika-and-pita-wedges

Ingredients

Hummus:
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
1/3 cup roasted tahini
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pinch organic lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt, Fleur de Sel
1-2 pinches paprika
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
Bake Pita Wedges:
4 rounds of pita breads
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Tuscan Himalayan

Sometimes dinner takes longer than you anticipate and you need a quick and easy snack to satisfy your family. This hummus recipe consists of most items you already have in your pantry or refrigerator so you can whip this appetizer up in no time. We always order hummus at a restaurant to entertain the kids as well as appease the growling tummies. If you really want to spice things up, you can add roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, fresh herbs, olives and even pine nuts.

Chickpeas also known as Garbanzo Beans are rich in fiber, manganese, and variety of antioxidants. They can help your digestive tract as well as regulate your blood sugars and insulin levels. That is why it satisfies your appetite so quickly and can help you control your portions at dinner.

You can buy dried garbanzo beans and soak them over night to reduce your exposure to aluminum and BPA. This website talks about all the health benefits and how to soak dried garbanzo beans if you want to go that route. There are BPA free liners now so look for the BPA free label when buying canned goods. I use no salt added garbanzo beans to help lower exposure to aluminum leaching into the water as well as control the amount of sodium in my diet.

Directions

1) Drain 1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans into a glass to use later. Rinse the garbanzo beans and place in a food processor. Zest the three lemons and squeeze all the juice in a glass. Make sure you remove any lemon seeds or your hummus may be bitter. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to your food processor and a pinch of lemon zest.

2) Stir the ROASTED tahini well and add 1/3 cup of tahini to the processor. Throw in 2 peeled, garlic gloves and start the processor. While it is blending, add 1 tablespoon of garbanzo water at a time until the hummus is smooth. I added 5 tablespoons of water.

3) Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and 1 tablespoon of good sea salt like Fleur de Sel. Blend and taste. Add more lemon juice if needed. I added 1 tablespoon more. By now you may have some impatient kids waiting to try some too!

4) Now you can add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and blend or you can drizzle the olive oil on top. Some people complain their olive oil turns bitter when processed or the oil is cooked under high heat. I do not have that issue but if you are unsure about your olive oil, drizzle the oil over the hummus and then serve.

5) Optional seasonings are fresh parsley, paprika and more Fleur de Sel. I think they add flavor and color but you decide.

6) For a real treat, serve with fresh vegetables and freshly baked pita chips. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Here’s how to make pita bread from scratch if you really want to be gourmet! Cut some pita bread into wedges, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or an herb salt like Tuscan Himalayan with a zest of lemon. Bake for 10 minutes until fragrant and golden in color. They are delicious. Thank you Food 52 for the Baked Pita Chip recipe!

***Allergy Caution- Tahini is ground up Sesame Seeds