Playing with Food: Homemade Garlic Hummus

I know all of you have been out there holding your breath, waiting to find out what I'd do with my leftover chickpeas after the not-so-successful attempt at homemade veggie burgers.

Did anyone try to guess?
What would YOU do with said staple, just chillin' in your pantry, nothing to do?

Make hummus, of course. [Duh.]

Before I tried to get all gourmet and fancy again, I thought I'd just stick to a simple concoction...ok mostly simple. After a few very short and easy steps, I did decide to give the dish some sass by adding some Indian flavors, compliments of a dear friend...who happens to be from India...and an excellent cook...and who may have recently given me some seasoning that I had not figured out how to use yet.

It worked beautifully.
And--this time--my playful cooking was a success.

This yummy--and strong and spicy--dip has provided a protien-filled buddy to my afternoon veggie snack. I really think adapting this recipe to make a variety of flavors will be quite easy.


PS: The answer to your burning question is: Yes, drinking wine and watching an episode of Lost  is part of this hummus-making process. Don't hate, people. 

What you'll need...

• 1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
• Juice from 2 limes (lemons would probably work as well)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (personal pref)
• 1-2 tsp masala powder (personal pref)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (I totally made that measurement up. I have no idea how much I used. Just get those beans nice and wet so they mix up well.)
• Spash (or two) of water, depending on your desired consistency.

Then, follow these steps...
STEP 1. Blend it all together.

You all should give this recipe a try! You'll be an instant hit at a "just-bring-a-side-dish" party.