Having some friends over for a little TV watching mid week? Want to make a yummy snack without spending too much time or money? Forget spending over 5 buckaroos at the bodega for store bought hummus. I’ll show you how easy it really is.

Lemons? Check. Can of chick peas? Check. Garlic? Check. Tahini? Well, I did have to make a run to the store for that, but honestly tahini never seems to go bad. So I’d say that was a good investment. Plus, it’ll give me an excuse to finally try my friend Barbara’s insanely delicious and hearty tahini cookie recipe.

Drain a 16 oz. can of chickpeas but keep 1/4 cup of the liquid from the can and set aside. In a blender (if you don’t have a Cuisinart you can use a regular blender) combine chickpeas, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1.5 tbsp tahini, juice from 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of good salt. Add the liquid you’ve saved from the can and blend until smooth. Or a little chunky, depending on how you like it.

We drizzled some olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper on some sliced up pitas and baked in the oven to crisp up. Accompanied with the hummus and some good olives this is a major hit.

The above recipe makes more hummus than you can eat, so be sure to bring some to work the next day for a little baby carrot dipping action. Oh, and some gum too – I can guarantee garlic breath with this one. Enjoy!
-BB

Brooklyn’s Belly, a column about the adventures of a foodie in Dumbo Brooklyn is written by Nicole Cummo Tereza of Mangia Vita. Nicole, a graphic designer, food lover, and food blogger, is a Dumbo resident.