Israeli Humus

Humus is a prominent food in Mizrachi (meaning from the east in Hebrew) cuisine, the only cuisine considered Israeli.

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 (15- to 16-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup tahini paste
2 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water (or more, if needed when using a blender)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sprigs of fresh parsley
Sliced pitted olives, black or green

Method:

In a small non-stick skillet, heat the pine nuts in the pan over medium-high, just to toast.

Put the chickpeas, oil, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and water into a food processor (fitted with the steel blade) or a blender. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container a few times. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Spoon the humus into a small serving dish and attractively garnish it with the parsley and the olives, pine nuts, or more chickpeas. Refrigerate for several hours to give the flavors a chance to blend. Serve it cold or for the best taste, let it come to room temperature. Serve with pita bread triangles.

Note: Tahini can be found at Middle Eastern specialty stores or health food stores.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.

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