Playdate Special: Homemade Hummus

Sometimes they just want to play. And the "cook" and "explore" part of the deal is just not so convenient for "that" energetic time of the day. That seemed to be the case with our afternoon-snack playdate on a sunny afternoon before Halloween. The original plan was good: I wrote down a easy recipe in a very readable 18 font size, so that the 6-year-old boys could read it loud. I gathered all measurement cups and took my lovely mini-food-processor from the cupboard. But nothing in this world was good enough to stop them. So, they played.

In the meantime, Darienne and I had fun watching the fresh garbanzo beans turn into a paste. We gradually added all ingredients in the noisiest food processor ever, and tasted it up to the point when we felt that hummus was ready to be served.

And for our pleasure, the kids came back hungry and curious enough to try this very tasty homemade treat, very different from the ones we buy from the store. Hummus was tasted with toasted mini-ptta bread, slices of cucumber, baby carrots and the seasonal Boo chips. There we had the "explore" part of the mission. To add fun to the story, they built up a very improvised clubhouse in the backyard made of cardboard and a clothes dryer.  In their little imaginative play, the al fresco restaurant was just the ideal place to have their snack. And for us, the moms, preparing the snack was again a playful time to catch up.

Little Monsters Homemade Hummus

I used freshly cooked garbanzo beans. If you are in the mood to try that, just follow the package instructions. I added garlic, olive oil, and salt to the water, and as always, soaked the beans overnight. I truly believe it's possible to have very good results with canned beans. And as Darienne suggested, adding a bit of bell peppers is a great touch to the hummus.

1 1/4 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons lime juice
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon tahini
Water to thin the mix (if using freshly cooked beans, use water from the pot)
Paprika or zaatar to garnish

Start processing the beans on medium speed. Add gradually the garlic, olive oil, lime juice, salt and tahini and process for enough time to have all ingredients very well mixed. Start to add drops of water up to the point you feel that the mix is smooth enough to be used as a spread or dip. Enjoy!