Tuesday is Hummus day!

On Monday, we received a package from Ann. This was no ordinary package. This package contained dried chickpeas. (Thank you, thank you, thank you.) This is very exciting for 2 reasons: I can't find any chickpeas (dried or canned) here in town and chickpeas = hummus. Plus, dried chick peas are $5 for 4 pounds. Canned chickpeas are about $2-$3 for a 16oz can. Premade hummus is about $6 a container.



After doing some chickpea & hummus research (plus asking the crockpot lady), I decided I was going to cook the chickpeas in the crockpot. I have no real method. I don't measure things. I have no idea if the things I cook are going to be edible. Poor Aaron. This is what I did:

1. Add dried chick peas to crock pot--I have the 6 qt with the removable crock and I covered the bottom.
2. Add cold water.--Enough water to cover all the chickpeas and allow the chickpeas to expand about 3 times their size.
3. Let them soak over night--I let them soak for about 18 hours
4. Drain the water
5. Add water--I filled it about half way full making sure all the peas were covered with room for them to expand
6. Set the crockpot on low for 8 hours.
7. Drain reserving about 1 cup of liquid
   

THESE THINGS ARE AWESOME! They are perfect for making hummus. They are perfectly cooked. I was worried because some recipes called for adding bicarbonate (baking soda) to the peas as they were cooking. I did not do that so I was worried. But these things are perfect without it. I made about 8 cups of hummus.



I didn't exactly have all the things most of the hummus recipes called for so I used what I had and I'm not not one to measure--I just eyeballed it. Here is what I did (roughly):

• add 4 c. chickpeas to blender
• add the juice from 1/2 a lime-most people use lemon juice
  
• add 2t of tahini
• add 1/4 cup of oil-I used canola oil instead of olive oil
• add 1 tsp of salt
• add 4 cloves of chopped garlic
• add 1/2 cup reserved liquid
  

Blend. Shake blender. Blend again. You can add more more oil or liquid if its too thick. If its too thin, I have no idea what to do. Mine turned out wonderful . I made 2 batchs. One was plain. One was made with extra garlic, Mrs.Dash, and cayenne pepper. You can add what ever you like, more garlic, less garlic, dill, cajun seasoning, really add what you want.

I have to say this is the best thing I have made. And I am so super excited about making more.