Make your own hummus

With the national recall of classic Sabra Hummus because of listeria, you might be missing your hummus fix.

Grab a couple of cans of chickpeas and tahini and get your food processor ready. It’s easy to make your own and it can be varied in several ways.

Chickpeas and tahini are the two key ingredients that make up hummus. Tahini is made up of ground sesame seeds and sometimes oil – it looks almost like peanut butter. Look for tahini in the ethnic aisle at most grocery stores. A common brand is Ziyad. A 16-ounce jar is about $5.

Chickpeas also are called garbanzo beans and ceci beans. If you use canned, no-salt added if possible, chickpeas, it’s more convenient. But you can use dry beans if you like. Dry beans should be soaked at least eight hours or overnight and then cooked.

Here’s a basic recipe for hummus and one for a roasted red pepper version.

BASIC HUMMUS

Makes: About 3 cups / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 10 minutes

Created by Katherine Kloss, Henry Ford Hospital dietetic intern, and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Although the canned chickpeas are already cooked, they are softened even more in boiling water so they are ultra-tender.

1 cup water

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 cloves garlic, peeled, pressed

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons tahini

1/4 cup olive (plus more for drizzling) or plain Greek-style yogurt

1/4cup fresh lemon juice

Pinch of cumin if desired

Chopped parsley

In a large pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the chickpeas and cook about 10 minutes, until very tender. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Set chickpeas aside. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse a few times, adding some cooking liquid if needed until almost smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together the garlic, salt, tahini, olive oil or yogurt, lemon juice and, if desired, cumin. Add to the chickpeas. Mix well to get a creamy consistency. Garnish with a sprinkling of cumin, a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley.

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

Makes: 10 servings (about 3 tablespoons per serving) / Preparation time: 25 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

This dip tastes even better the second day.

2 large red bell peppers

1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh vegetables (baby carrots, bell pepper strips, pea pods)

To roast peppers in the oven, place a cooling rack on a baking sheet with sides. Place clean, whole, fresh peppers on cooling rack and broil under medium heat, turning frequently until the entire pepper skin has turned black and blistery. Remove peppers from oven and place in a large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow peppers to rest 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the peppers from the bowl and peel off all the charred skin. Cut peppers in half, core and remove seeds. Cut a few strips to dice 1 tablespoon for garnish and place the remaining peppers in a food processor. Add chickpeas and lemon juice to the food processor and puree 30 to 60 seconds. In a small bowl, combine garlic and salt; blend in tahini. Add tahini mixture to chickpea mixture and blend until smooth. Allow hummus to chill at least 2 hours before serving. To serve, place hummus in a small bowl, garnish with reserved diced roasted red pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with fresh vegetables.