Hummus with a Twist

I am at the beach this week and posting from my iPhone is giving me a headache. I desperately need to take a class at the Apple store. So much for technology being King though I will call user foul here. In turn, I will keep this entry short and sweet. I invite you to whip up the below hummus recipe. It's healthy, packed with protein and beyond scrumptious. Making your own hummus is so easy and you save yourself all the ugly additives that go into the stuff you buy in stores. Keep it simple. Earlier this week, I served our basil hummus as an accompaniment to a gorgeous Turkish dish, chicken schwarma. I will post the recipe on the blog this week. In fact, we dipped crudités in the creamy hummus before enjoying it with that night's dinner. For lunch this week, I put a dollop on top of a salad I made at Whole Foods. Matthew made a snack of it alongside beluga lentils. The bit that remains is being used as a spread on our sandwiches this week. Basil is a nice twist. This flavorful green is growing in our garden like wildflowers and I cannot keep up with the volume. Truth be told, I am having fun finding different ways to incorporate it. With this hummus, you will find yourself licking your fingers directly from the bowl. Matthew once said that he finds hummus tastes like grass. Thanks to this basil hummus, I've made him a believer. 

Fresh Basil Hummus

Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans - preferably organic, low sodium

2 large cloves of garlic

2 lemons - the juice

2 TBS olive oil

1/4 cup of tahini

1/4 cup of water - perhaps more or less

2 cups of fresh basil - mine hails from our garden

Kosher salt

Preparation

1. In a Cuisinart or food processor add the garbanzo beans, garlic, juice of the 2 lemons, 1 TBS olive oil, tahini and blend. If you need a smoother consistency, add water until creamy. Please note you might not use all the water or you might even need to add more. Now add your basil and kosher salt. Blitz again. Season to taste. I served mine with a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of kosher salt and a pair of baby basil leaves to tizzy up the appearance. Bon appetit!