Hummus -Chickpea Dip and Za’atar Pita Chips
Mise En Place - All ingredients in its place ready to go!
A Taste Of Israel - I recently took a cooking class via zoom all the way from Israel and a tour through the shuk - Israeli market place in Jerusalem. A hummus and pita cooking class was led by Orit Levi and Shawna Goodman-Stone - a Canadian chef who made Aliyah - immigrated to Israel. We both went to the same cooking school in NYC and both grew up in Montreal. Small world! I love the Israeli culture and cuisine. I’m not much of a meat person but when I’m in Israel I’m hitting the shwarma stands because it’s so decadently delicious. The Israelis know their food and spices! Don’t mess with the Zohan! Bobby Flay - top that!
This hummus dip recipe is modified as I omitted the tahini - sesame paste. If you so desire to add it to the recipe - be my guest. It calls for 1/3 cup - and if you do add the tahini you might want to add more seasoning or lemon juice (fresh always) and omit the olive oil in the recipe. Tahini has its own oil.
Chickpeas are high in protein, therefore, it makes an excellent substitute for meat. Vegans and vegetarians go crazy! They are great for digestion, satisfying (proteins do that). They are also high in fiber, iron and folate = roughage, minerals and vitamins that gives us energy and gets our bodies functioning par excellence.
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips: If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse then under cold water to wash off the sodium. Washing them well will also make the m easier to digest and less gassy.
If you are cooking dried chickpeas soak them for 8-12 hours in cold water. Soaking will speed up the cooking time and make them more digestible. Drain the water after soaking and place in a pot of hot water and simmer for one hour until they’re tender.
Chickpeas - Garbanzo Beans
vegan gluten-free dairy-free nut-free
15 oz - one can chickpeas - garbanzo beans drain and rinse under water
1-2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
juice of one lemon - 2-3 tbsp
2 tbsp olive oil
2-4 tbsp cold water
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fine salt - Himalayan or sea salt
Toppings for presentation and garnish - optional: drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley,
sprinkle of sumac or paprika, pine nuts
-in a mini food processor add chickpeas - garbanzo beans, 2 tbsp of water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin salt. Blend until smooth and creamy
-add additional water to thin out the hummus and salt to taste
-for garnish and added taste drizzle oil, chopped parsley and/or sprinkle paprika or sumac on top
-store in fridge covered for up to three days
Za’atar Pita Chips
place pita bread in oven at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Watch it well so it doesn’t over bake and burn. Let cool and break into bite-size pieces.
Dip and enjoy!
Za’atar is a mixture of spices: hyssop, sumac and sesame seeds.
It’s so much fun and refreshing to use new spices and seasonings in your cooking.
I love how the Sephardic chefs season their dishes. It’s great to store za’atar and other unique or not so popular seasonings in your pantry for the days you want to go middle eastern - ups the bar and keeps the palette satisfied.
This is my new creative way to make pita chips for any dip especially hummus or tahini - the seasonings all go together - a match made in heaven!
4 pitas - white or whole wheat
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp za’atar
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
-preheat oven to 400 degrees
-split the pita in half with a clean pair of scissors and place on baking sheet
-using a pastry brush, gently brush pita with oil and smear or sprinkle with za’atar and thyme
-season with salt and pepper
-bake until golden browned crisp - 8-10 minutes
-cool, than break into bite-size pieces
-They freeze well
Peace ShalOM and Love B’Ahavah,
Genia