Raw Hummus

Yes you heard me ladies and gents, raw hummus.  Most humans who eat hummus don’t even realize that it isn’t raw because the chickpeas are boiled in the process.  I read about replacing chickpeas with tons of things such as cashews or walnuts; however, calculating the calories in my head made my hips grow on the spot.  Instead, I followed many bloggers’ advice and used zucchini and it turned out great.  My zucchini were smaller, NYC-sized ones (about 8 ounces each), so if yours are larger, adjust the amount of  tahini.  Yet, I would try to keep the amount of tahini down–it’s obscenely high in calories.  I didn’t take pictures because well, the process ain’t so interesting. But hey, try it.

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini, peeled and chopped, about 1 pound all together
• 1/2 cup raw tahini (If you don’t care about it being raw, substitute regular.)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• Kosher salt to taste
• Cumin to taste

Blend all ingredients together in the food processor until creamy and enjoy! About 65 to 70 calories an ounce.

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Smoked Paprika and Garlic Hummus

What do cream cheese, sour cream, hummus, and peanut butter have in common?  I cannot keep them in the house without going at them with a spoon.  Or my face.  However, sometimes we make mistakes and this is a wonderful one.  This is not a low calorie recipe.  When I started to calculate the calorie count and saw that just the tahini alone was 300 calories for 3 tablespoons and then the can of chick peas had 350 calories and I’m not even going to mention the olive oil, I knew the results were gonna be ugly–so I just threw in the towel and decided to extol the virtues of this very healthy, full of protein and fiber, vegan dip that is fast and easy to make and can be seasoned to please your palate.  Any leftovers are great as a sandwich spread or as a sandwich itself.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chick peas
• 3 tablespoons sesame tahini paste, stir well before using
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or water (I used water because I didn’t have any lemon juice and it tasted great.)
• 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil

Use only the best ingredients you can find for the best tasting hummus!

Rinse and drain chick peas.

In food processor fitted with steel blade, combine chick peas, tahini, paprika, salt, garlic and lemon juice.

Turn on processor and stream in oil.  Process until creamy/smooth.

Scrape down sides to incorporate the paprika.  Taste for seasonings.  You may want to add more salt and/or paprika.  If hummus is too thick, add 1 tablespoon more oil, lemon juice or water and pulse until incorporated.

Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle with additional smoked paprika.  This recipe, which can be made 1 day ahead, serves 4-6 people as a dip.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

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