Heady for Hummus
January 15, 2018 § Leave a comment
Healthy New Year’s Eating from Tabbuli’s Recipe Box
By mid-January, many of us are feeling and looking like the cat who ate the canary several times over during the festive holiday and New Year season. Slimming down can seem challenging, but it’s a snap when indulging in low calorie, high flavor and lean protein foods. The Mediterranean diet is chock full of these kinds of choices – hummus, baba ganoush, tabbuleh falafel – and all are on the diet-do-right menu at Tabbuli.
At Tabbuli, the creamy hummus is prepared with chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed paste), fresh lemon juice, and topped with house pickles, olives and roasted red pepper. Toasted pita toast points are perfect, edible scoops. If you desire to be gluten-free or even more low calorie, you can use carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices or radishes for scooping and eating.
This recipe is borrowed from our media writer and cookbook author Holly Herrick’s most recent cookbook, Mashed – Beyond the Potato (Gibbs Smith, September 2016). Use it in good health and come see us at Tabbuli, 6. N. Market Street, downtown.
Delicate Lemon-Thyme Hummus
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Fresh, delicious, healthy hummus makes for happy palates and a low calorie New Year refresh.
(Yields 2 cups)
“Hummus originated in the Middle East, but its popularity has spread to cultures throughout the world. This fluffy garbanzo bean (also called chickpea) puree gets texture levity from a food processor, but they could also be mashed by hand for a chunkier effect. Fresh lemon and thyme deliver a pop of freshness. This is where you want to use the fruitiest, best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find – ideally, first press. Serve room temperature.”
One 15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
2 large cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons tahini
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh thyme leaves
Garnish:
Additional extra virgin olive oil – about 1/4 cup
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 or 4 fresh sprigs thyme
Place the garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon, and tahini in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth – it will be thick and start to form a ball. Stream in ½ to ¾ cup olive oil while the processor is running. The consistency will be fluffy and light. Pulse (10 brief pulses) and add in salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, scraping down the sides with a spatula to incorporate. Serve in a shallow bowl or platter spread evenly with a small pool in the center. Pour in additional olive oil garnish, sprinkle with paprika, and garnish with fresh thyme.