Hummus

$3.52 total / $0.11 per serving

It's Super Bowl Sunday and many of you are making game day snacks to be enjoyed by many. I can imagine lots of chicken wings, pizza and beer. Don't get me wrong, those things are delicious but there are other things you can put out to help curb your appetite and not over indulge. Something like hummus. Hummus is one of my favorite appetizers. I absolutely love it! Pair it with pita bread, carrots, sliced bell peppers or celery and it is a winner nutritionally as well as being super tasty.

Nutritional Highlight: Tahini. I make tahini from scratch to save money and ease my mind just by knowing exactly what is added. Tahini is made with sesame seeds and olive oil. It's such a simple combination but it can cost you a pretty penny pre-made - around $7 a jar! Tahini is a good source of carbohydrates and protein per serving as well as having a good balance of healthy fats. Fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 cannot be made by your body, so it is important to get them into your diet for a healthy brain and heart. The fat offered from the tahini and other ingredients in this hummus are mostly from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. So while it is a high fat food, these are good fats that are vital to your health. 

Hummus  (makes about 4 cups)

1/2 cup Sesame Seeds
6 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
2 cans Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or garbanzo if you can't find chickpeas)
5 Garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
2 Lemons, juiced
2 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp Cumin

In a food processor, pulse the sesame seeds until they are almost ground. Slowly add up to 2 Tbsp of the olive oil to form a paste, scraping down the sides as needed. When you have the sesame paste or tahini, add in the rest of the ingredients except olive oil and water. Add the oil and water as needed to make the desired consistency. I like my hummus thick and creamy. The water helps make it creamy without so much olive oil. Eventually I ended up using 4 more Tbsp of olive oil and 2 Tbsp of water to make mine the consistency I wanted.

Serve with a little extra olive oil drizzled over the top. Cut up your favorite vegetables or pita bread to serve along side this as a dip.

Nutritional Analysis:

Per 2 Tbsp serving: 68 calories, 3.9g fat (.5g saturated, .8g polyunsaturated, 2.3g monounsaturated), 7g carbohydrates, 1.7g protein