Greek Dip

To go with my homemade pitas I made this greek dip to fill them up with some good flavor. Homemade hummus is ALWAYS better than store-bought, because you can add your own spices and additions and make it just how you like it. This dip would also be good with crackers, chips, etc. Or just eat it with a spoon. Or a fork - whatever you have.

I started with the hummus. In my food processor I added 2 small cloves of garlic that I had rough chopped. You can put them in there whole but I thought I'd give them a head start because even though I like garlic, I do not like huge chunks of garlic.

I then added a can of chickpeas, about 1/4 cup of tahini (sesame paste), a teaspoon or so of salt, and a crackling of pepper. That is my own culinary term - a crackling, meaning to crackle the pepper mill over the food until you have as much as you want. I use smoked peppercorns, because in most cases I love a little smokey taste to my food. You can't really taste the smokiness here though.

You can also add lemon juice, spices, more garlic, roated red peppers, etc. etc. at this point. Then add about 1/4 cup olive oil with the processor going. You can keep adding oil until it becomes smooth, but I stopped at 1/4 cup and started adding water because even though it comes out AMAZING if you use all oil, I am trying to shed some baby weight and thought I better use some water. Although I do think fats are crucial to your body!

So once your hummus because creamy and spreadable, it is done!

I put it as the bottom layer of my dip. Then I topped it with chopped cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Oh and a sprinkling of salt, of course. So. Good.

Homemade hummus

1-3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped, depending on your preference
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/4 cup water or enough to make it creamy

Pulse garlic in processor. Add chickpeas, tahini, salt, pepper, and pulse a few times. With the processor going, add in the olive oil and then the water until it becomes creamy.