Recipe: Fun and Easy Black Olive Hummus

I love hummus. I can remember the first time I tried it, and how I couldn’t stop eating it. Then I had to try each flavor, and found that the black olive was my favorite.

Sort of.

I mean I won’t turn any down, love it all. But from the time I was four or five, and sticking black olives on all my fingers and then eating them off, slowly, as I sat watching cartoons, until I grew up and did the same thing (okay, I don’t actually still put them on my fingers), they are one of my favorite snacks. And they blend perfectly with hummus.

Ok, so if you just read the word "tahini" and freaked out because you have never used it, and have absolutely no idea what it is, it's just pureed sesame seeds. You can find it in most grocery stores, often in the ethnic food section.

Now I have heard of folks trying to substitute peanut butter for tahini in making hummus. I have never tried that, and a purist would never think of trying that, but hey, if you're just playing around with food, which I encourage, go for it.

This recipe is fairly basic, and easy to make changes to. For instance you can spice it up easily with cayenne, increase the garlic, etc. I personally love hummus with pita bread, but I think it’s quite nice with tortilla chips or crisp toast points too. So versatile, ya gotta love it. This recipe is a bit of a few others I’ve tried, with my own changes.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 3 tbsp tahini (stir it well first, before spooning out)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup black olives
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Season to taste.
3. If it’s thicker than you like add water.
4. When it’s to your liking, try drizzling olive oil over it and garnish with chopped black olives.

So easy, so good. Tell me what you think!