The Hummus

What a long, horrible, lonely month it has been!  Our neighbors decided to stop being so generous with their WiFi and put their internet on lock-down.  So we had to pull some strings and cut through a lot of red tape, but we're back online!

Thirty days of no internet kept me surprisingly busy.  I spent the majority of my time going through a very large box of recipes that I've clipped from newspapers, magazines and various food packages.  I've also been able to cook a bit more than usual.  I won't lie, I got inventive.

As promised, I decided to share my hummus (and pita chips!) recipe with you all.  I made this several times since my last blog and have found a few variations that are sure to fit your taste preferences (assuming you like hummus and pita chips, that is).



Starting with the pita chips, preheat your oven to 425°F and line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil.  Spray each foil-lined cookie sheet with cookie spray and set aside.

I usually make 2 full batches (1 batch is a pack of 4 pita bread).  Cut each pita into 8 wedges as shown in the picture below:



Arrange the wedges evenly on the cookie sheet so that they're not overlapping at all.  Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil (I didn't have olive oil, corn oil worked just as well), 2 tablespoons dried basil and about 1 tablespoon garlic salt.



Brush the spiced oil over the top of each wedge on the cookie sheet.  Pop the first sheet into the oven and leave in for about 7 minutes (7 is my magic number with this recipe, but I learned I can only do one sheet at a time or else the chips don't come out very crispy).



After 7 minutes, remove the cookie sheet and replace with the next batch. Continue rotating the sheets in this manner. The chips don't need to cool on the cookie sheet, they can be removed immediately to a large bowl.  I store mine in gallon Ziploc baggies.  Experiment with different flavors by getting whole wheat pitas or adding Parmesan cheese to the oil mixture.

Next up, make the hummus.  This is by far the easiest part of the whole post.



To make a single batch of hummus, you'll need one 15 ounce can of Garbanzo Beans (also known as chickpeas), 1 large clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic salt and oregano.  I made Tom an extra special batch with sun dried tomatoes, which is just an extra ingredient to the original recipe.


In a blender container, dump in the whole can of garbanzo beans.  It seems watery in the end, but it will thicken up in the fridge.  Peel and slice the garlic and throw it in the blender.  Add lemon juice, oil, garlic salt and oregano and blend until creamy.  Pour into a Tupperware container and refrigerate for at least an hour.

So, some Frugalista math:
If you go to the grocery store, you can get a 10 ounce container of  hummus for $2.50 on sale.  A bag of pita chips goes for $4 or more.

My hummus came out to cost me $1.50 for 30 ounces, the pita chips $3 for the equivalent of 4 bags of Stacy's or Athenos' brand.

The only difference between mine and theirs?  I don't use tahini, or sesame seed paste.  And I really can't tell much of a difference in taste.  And I saved over $20!  A very low fat solution to mid-day munchies.

Next week I'm going to teach you all how to make one of my favorite desserts:  Bananas Foster.  Such a simple recipe that utilizes ingredients you probably have laying around your kitchen!