Hummus from Day of Honey

from Day of Honey

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 c. cooked chickpeas or 1 15 oz can
  • 2 cloves garlic (about 2 tsp mashed)
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 2 tsp lemon juice (about 1/4 lemon)
  • 1 1/2 Tsp tahini
  • 2 1/2 c. yogurt (whole milk)
  • 1 large or 2 medium day old pitas, two halves separated
  • 1 Tsp butter
  • 1 Tsp olive oil
  • 2 Tsp pine nuts
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried mint

Directions:

  1. Rinse the chickpeas and rub them very lgihtly between your hands to remove as many of the skins as possible.  Warm them in a small cooking ot with 1/4 in water over very low heat.  Add more water if necessary.
  2. In a small bowl, mash the garlic and salt together with a pestle until they make a smooth  paste.  Add the lemon juice and stir until you have a loose slurry.  Set aside.
  3. Take half of the lemon-garlic mixture and put it in a second bowl.  Add the tahini and mix until smooth.  Add the yogurt and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.
  4. Toast or fry the pita halves until just golden brown.  When they are cool enough to handle, break them into bite-sized pieces - roughly 1/2 inch squares or triangles.  Set aside half of them.  Layer the other half on the bottom of a serving bowl.
  5. Pour the chickpeas with their cooking liquie into the bowl with the remaining lemon-garlic slurry.  Mix them until coated thoroughtly, mashing about half the beans with the pestle.  Dump them in your serving bowl on top of the toasted bread.  Top with the yogurt mixture.
  6. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat with the olive oil.  add the pine nuts and toast, shaking the pan so they cook evenly, until golden brown.  Add the aprika and cumin and stir gently to coat.  Dump the nuts on top of the yogur and top with the remaining toasted bred.  Garnish with dried mint, and if desired, dust with more cumin and paprika.