Hummus is a traditional dip descending from the Middle East. Its popularity has increased internationally and the dish is consumed by people around the world. Consisting of mostly garbanzo beans, hummus is a nutritious snack that is high in protein, iron and fiber. It’s also a healthy alternative to fattening spinach or ranch dips. Hummus is mainly consumed as a dip for pita chips, pita bread, cucumbers, carrots or crackers. You can get creative by spreading it on a bagel or whole wheat toast for a hearty breakfast.

In America, hummus can be found in the deli section of grocery stores for about $4 for a small tub of Sabras or Athenos hummus. As a college student and professional penny pincher, I make my own hummus for less than one dollar a pop. This fool-proof recipe is doable for even those who always manage to set something on fire while cooking. Whip up a batch of hummus five minutes before a pot luck party and you’re golden.

Garlicky Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini (found in most grocery
• stores in the ethnic food aisle and in Indian
• grocery stores for cheap in bulk)
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Parsley (a sprig or so should do the trick)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• Garlic powder (optional)
• Lemon pepper (optional)

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Can opener

Process:

1. Peel garlic and toss it into the food processor. Flip the switch and let the process pulverize it a bit.
2. Drain about ¼ cup of juice from garbanzo bean can into food processor. Dispose of the rest of the juice.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Blend until smooth.

Tips:

This recipe is flexible and fun to experiment with. Roasted red peppers, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and jalapeño peppers are some other popular twists easily executed. You can also experiment with a variety of spices and herbs such as cumin, cayenne pepper, basil, cilantro or oregano.

I opt out on the olive oil because I prefer my hummus to be coarse and full of texture without the added calories. If you want to attempt to imitate the Sabras brand hummus to inexpensively satisfy your Sabras addiction, smooth out the texture with a bit more olive oil. Try out soy bean or canola oil, too, as they’re pretty good at smoothing these situations over.

If you want to avoid vampires or people trying to give you smooches, use garlic olive oil. Mmm …, garlic.

Be sure to stir the tahini prior to scooping out those tablespoons. Like natural peanut butter, the natural oils separate.