Hummus! (Or "Hundus", as my little girl calls it)

Have you tried making your own hummus? It's quick and easy, healthy, and my toddler loves it!

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Drain chickpeas (saving 1/4 cup liquid from the can).
Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor (I have a mini processor that works great!)
Add the 1/4 cup of liquid from the chickpeas.
Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

You can do variations on this recipe - the last 3 ingredients are really your choice. I don't like my hummus with too much lemon, and sometimes I don't want garlic in it at all. So be creative! You can do some quick searches on the internet - there are many variations on hummus out there!

To serve, again, be creative! I used to toast bread and put the hummus on strips, but my toddler eventually learned how to make a big mess. Then I tried sitting her on my lap and dipping pieces of crackers in the hummus and feeding her by hand. Fortunately she learned from me and will now dip oyster crackers in hummus... or, her fingers.. (and yes, that is store-bought hummus she is eating!)

This is one of those recipes that is good to keep on hand along with a jar of garbanzos and a jar of tahini, just in case you ever need it. My daughter must have said "hundus" 300 times one morning so I whipped up a quick batch!