Hummus!

Hummus is one of my favorite things to eat!  I normally dislike chickpeas or garbanzos when they're in Filipino dishes like Afritada but apparently when they're mashed up in cream, I really love them.

It's really easy to do, and it's one of the things I've wanted to make since I bought my hand mixer!

So I invited my friend Jennifer over, who is currently a vegetarian, for dinner and catching up.  I also invited my other good friend, Zara to come over.

What goes into Hummus:

a big can of garbanzos, drain, but save the juice -- if you're using fresh garbanzos, make sure to soak them over night to make them softer, so it makes more sense if you use canned garbanzos;
about 4 cloves of garlic;
olive oil (make sure to choose a good kind); and
Tahini (Tahineh) 100% Sesame seed paste -- I got my tahini from Santi's it's a bit pricey, but if you're gonna make it often, it's ok.

Tahini is the most important part of hummus according to a recipe that I read, you can omit it, but it is NOT replaceable.

Put a little of the garbanzos juice in and a splash of olive oil, then MASH AWAY with your hand blender!  If you like Hummus, you know what the consistency should be like.  So just add the garbanzos juice and olive oil and adjust until you get the perfect consistency.  You can sprinkle some granulated garlic powder over the top and drizzle some olive oil before serving it with pita! I got mine from our neighborhood Middle Eastern restaurant but I guess I can try looking for a recipe to make them next time! :)

Enjoy!