Hummus Three Ways

Hummus one way is good, but hummus three ways is three times as good!

This weekend I had 25 college girls from my Christian Fellowship over at my house for a weekend retreat.  When you get that many girls in one place, there’s lots of candy, chocolate and junk food to be found.  What better way to balance that out than with some healthy and tasty hummus?  Is was good to see the girls digging in with their carrots and celery.

Of course they all still had ice cream and brownies afterwards, but I felt good that they at least had some veggies in them too.

I must give you a word of warning about eating this much hummus at once.  Make sure you are around people who love you even with the garlic breath you’ll have after this.

Here’s the beginning of the avocado hummus.  Combine the garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice and avocado.  Process with salt, pepper and olive oil until………..

You get this lovely mixture.  I know it’s not much to look at, but it makes it up in flavor.

This is the rosemary and garlic hummus.  The rosemary came from my backyard, so it was super fresh tasting.  I love fresh herbs in my cooking.  It just makes for a homey and rich taste in my opinion.

If you like guacamole, you will love this.  It’s got all the delectable flavor of avocado, but the scrumptious texture of hummus.  I found that I used less olive oil with this one because the avocado has plenty of oil in it.

A side note about this mini avocado: This baby hass avocado fell off my tree in the backyard as I was reaching for it.  It had completely black skin and felt ripe to the touch.  I opened it up and it was a normal looking avocado, but just 3 inches in length.  It was the cutest thing.  I had to use it in the picture.

This is the fresh rosemary and garlic hummus with it’s rich woodsy flavor.

With food this tasty and beautiful , it’s easy to forget that it’s good for you.  This roasted red pepper hummus has a beautiful color and the flavor is mild.  The red pepper lends its moisture and vibrant color to an otherwise plain looking hummus.

So, the next time you find yourself  having way too much sugar and junk food, think HUMMUS!

Hummus Three Ways

2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

For avocado hummus: add one whole avocado, diced and juice of half a lemon.

For rosemary hummus: add 1 tablespoon minced rosemary

For red pepper hummus: add 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained and pieces patted dry and diced

In a food processor, combine the garlic, garbanzo beans, and olive oil and your additional ingredients of choice.  Process until smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon into serving dish and serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread.

Makes about 3 cups.