Ultimately Creamy Hummus

Twizzlers!  It's our go-to road trip food.  For some reason the twisted strawberry licorice just makes spending hours at a time in the car - more tolerable.  (Or maybe the steady supply of sugar just makes me a more pleasant car rider. 🤣)   Regardless, we don't often start off on a road trip without it.  We drove to Valdosta in December for a weekend and I forgot to take my purse BUT you better believe that we had our twizzlers for the trip.  Priorities?  

If you ask my family how I feel about road trips, they have no reservations about describing how miserable I am as a car rider.  I accidentally took too much Benadryl before a road trip to St. Augustine last summer and I slept for the entire 7 hour trip!  I honestly don't remember anything after getting in the car and my family claims that it was our best family road trip to date. 😂 I blame motion sickness for my undesirable car riding attitude.  I can't do anything productive while I'm in the car.  I can't read a book or look at my phone or write anything down without feeling queasy and that makes me very grumpy.  

We road tripped so much in December that even the twizzlers weren't helping with my negative attitude.  The sugar seemed to have a reverse effect on me after hour 10 of being stuck in a cramped vehicle on a crowded highway. 🚗 I reached a level of entrapment that no amount of sugar could cure. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

We don't eat a lot of fast food - even on road trips.  I am the queen of packing enough snacks to last us at least 2 weeks.  🍎You know, in case we should get stranded somewhere - Hallmark movie style.  😂 On our trip home after Christmas - I couldn't stomach the thought of eating any more of my supply of road trip snacks, more twizzlers or fast food.  We opted instead for a quick stop at a grocery store along our route to pick up some sustenance.  I chose a bowl of freshly cut fruit, a container of hummus and some naan bites.  Not your typical road trip fare but it hit the spot for me.  I had forgotten how much I loved hummus.  

Ultimately Creamy Hummus
15 ounce can chick peas
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup tahini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
​1/2 Tablespoon fresh parsley

Combine chick peas, baking soda and 3 cups water in saucepan.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until chick pea skins float to the top. (20-25 minutes)

Whisk together lemon juice, salt and garlic.  Let sit 10 minutes. 

Strain mixture through strainer, pressing on solids.  Discard solids.

Drain chickpeas in colander.  Return to saucepan.

Fill saucepan with water and gently release chickpea skins with fingers. 

Pour off water into colander to collect skins.  Repeat filling and skinning 3-4 times to remove all chickpea skins.  

Drain chick peas in colander.  Set aside 1 T. chick peas for garnish.  

Process garlic-lemon mixture, 2 T. water, cumin and remaining chick peas in food processor until smooth.

Add tahini and oil and process 1 minute longer.   

Adjust to consistency of yogurt by adding additional water. ​

Season with salt and extra lemon juice to taste.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Garnish with fresh parsley, reserved chick peas and extra olive oil.  Let sit 30 minutes before serving.

Anyone else prefer warm hummus to cold hummus?  I love to eat hummus when it's freshly made but I wasn't a big fan after it had been refrigerated.  Soooo, I've been warming my leftover hummus in the microwave for a few seconds before diving in.  If you're on the fence about hummus - try warming it.  You might be surprised how different it tastes when it isn't cold. 

Ciao!

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