Spicy Southwestern Hummus

This healthy snack of Spicy Southwestern Hummus just might have saved me last week.

My external hard drive on the computer that was supposed to be my back up, fail safe, plan ahead, don’t be a tech moron, safe place for all my Idiot’s Kitchen photos, recipes, and info died a not so glamorous death. No warning, just files and files of gibberish nonsense where previously there had been lovely photos of cookies and cats.

So I was a little stressed. Had I not had something healthy in the fridge, I guarantee that I would have eaten every single thing that even remotely resembled chocolate in the house.

I am not known for my overwhelming will power. There is a reason why I no longer keep a dish of chocolates on my living room table.

It’s not news that if you have healthy and delicious foods in your refrigerator all ready to eat, you are more likely to eat healthy and delicious food.

This hummus is a flavorful combo of black beans and garbanzo beans.  And you can spice it up as much as you’d like.

Here’s what you need:

Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Cilantro, Limes, Garlic, Tahini, Chili Powder (Chipotle Chili Powder is extra good), Cumin, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Spicy Southwestern Hummus Shopping List

I had leftover garbanzos and black beans in the freezer from cooking dried beans for Black Bean Confetti Salad. You can also use canned beans (14 0unce can = about 2 cups) but just be sure to drain and rinse them first.

Put about 2 cups each of black beans and garbanzo beans in a food processor or powerful blender.

Add 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic,

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste) and 1/2 cup (or more) of cilantro leaves. If you are a cilantro hater, you can always use parsley.

Add 1/2 cup water

and the juice of 2 limes.

Grind it all up into a thick paste. You might need to add a bit more water to make it blend into a better, spreadable consistency.

Season with at least 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder,

1 teaspoon cumin, salt & pepper. Feel free to use MORE spice to adjust to your own taste. If you really like things spicy, you could also toss in a jalapeno pepper.

As you are doing the final spin in the food processor to combine all of the spices, drizzle in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to give the hummus a nice silky texture.

This is great served as a snack with carrots, celery, crackers, pita chips, pita bread, or tortillas. It also makes a great “paste” for a hummus veggie wrap.

Lest you get the impression that I’m completely virtuous in the face of computer induced stress, I also may have had a couple of these last week….

I guess it’s all about balance. Balance and finding a great computer repair store in your neighborhood with a nice guy who saves almost all your files. Hooray!

Here’s the recipe:

Spicy Southwestern Hummus