Hummus and Spreads

HUMMUS! Love! Don't you? But did you ever notice that 2 tablespoons is a serving at 80 calories? Yep, and how many of you are dipping those veggies into your hummus till the bowl is clean? Hey, it's easy to do, so I have two tips for you today!
FIRST, whether you're eating hummus or any other dip/spread (peanut butter, etc) 2 tablespoons is your rule of thumb when it comes to a serving.
But if you wish that hummus just went a little bit further (a bigger serving) without more calories,  here's my SECOND tip .....make your own hummus and enlarge the volume of your dip with veggies! YES VEGGIES!  Here's what you do.....you follow my recipe below for a basic hummus, and then you add roasted veggies to your puree. It bulks up the bean hummus mixture, giving you more per serving but with less calories, 'cause you are adding more veggies than beans! YES! You can thank me later, ENJOY!


**Oh and don't forget, hummus doesn't have to be just a dip. Use it as a wonderful spread on your sandwiches, or mix into your pasta for a creamy texture. **

Original Hummus Recipe

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place garbanzo beans in a blender or food processor with approximately 1 teaspoon reserved liquid. Process until smooth. Mix in the garlic, salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency, increasing the amount of reserved garbanzo bean liquid as desired. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

NOW if you want to bulk up the hummus so you can get more bang for your buck, and have an extra serving or two! Roast your favorite veggies, one or more, whatever you like and once cooled, add to your food processor, following the original hummus recipe, and incorporating with the beans.
Here are my favorites and how to roast them, but use what you like best!

ROASTED VEGGIES

Cut into chunks:

Carrots, green and red peppers, onion, garlic cloves, zuchinni, rutabaga, parsnips, squash, eggplant (any of your favorite vegetables)
¼ cup pure olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp each)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Put vegetable chunks on pan, sprinkle with olive oil, and toss with salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Roast until tender; about 20 minutes. Insert fork or sharp knife to test for doneness.ENJOY!