I’m accidentally jumping on this green food for St. Patrick’s day bandwagon. We’ll pretend I meant to do that.
Seriously though…have you seen the amount of basil you need to make any significant amount of pesto? What’s up with that? Not an option.
I’ll stick to the occasional package o’ pesto splurge and in the meantime…
I’m making hummus.
Heck yeah cheater pesto! This is much easier on my wallet. Plus…there’s protein in there! Health!
I know it seems plain but do not underestimate the deliciousness of basil pesto. Daniel loved it. That’s all you need to know.
Oh yeah..I peeled my chickpeas. a la Smitten Kitchen.
Peeling the peas made the hummus sooo smooooth. The peeling process wasn’t as bad as it sounds. The skins come off quickly and easily with a satisfying pop of your fingers. Don’t worry. Peeling not required.
Do not feel pressured to peel your chickpeas like a crazy person. That’s what crazy people with snow days and a blog do for fun.
I even support simply smashing chickpeas with a potato masher and enjoying chunky hummus. Call it “rustic.” I’m just trying to tell you that it’s ok to roll your eyes at that step and move on.
(It’s worth trying at least once, though.)
That is roasted garlic.
If you have roasted garlic on hand USE IT! If you have extra time on your hands and feel like roasting some garlic for your hummus DO IT! Just wrap it in foil and roast it until it gets soft, sweet and delicious.
Raw garlic or garlic powder work just fine but the rich, sweet flavor of roasted garlic is. the. bomb.
There’s no oil in my hummus. I don’t think you need it. You may certainly add some if you want. I DID stir some whole toasted pinenuts into my hummus. For crunch! Also for maximum pesto experience.
Prepare your veg.
…aaaaaaand dunk.
Or go make a sandwich.
Hummus is yummus!
(Bet you’ve never heard that one before…clever, right?)
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Enjoy!
❤ Ellen
Basil Hummus
Recipe a conglomeration of my taste and things from the interweb
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
1 1/4 cup chickpeas (reserve either cooking water or the water from the can)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or a clove or two of fresh garlic OR roasted garlic…highly recommended.)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1 tablespoon tahini
1/4 cup reserved chickpea water
1 handful of pinenuts (optional)
- If you want to, peel your chickpeas. Just pick them up one at a time and slide the skin off.
- This is really complicated. Ready? Put everything (except the pinenuts) in the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Let it run until everything is as smooth as your heart desires. Be patient. The longer it runs, the smoother the final product will be.
- Stir in pinenuts and drizzle with olive oil (if you want). Serve as a dip for veggies or crackers or use as a spread for a sandwich. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will keep at least a week.
Ellen in the Kitchen 