Chunky Black Olive Hummus

My husband loves Chunky Olive Hummus from Trader Joe's. We'd throw it into our cart almost every time we shopped there. One day I had too much time on my hands, so instead of buying the hummus, I decided to figure out how to make it so that you wouldn't have to :) This is my version of the Chunky Black Olive Hummus.

Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip made with garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. It's usually served with flatbread, falafel, and fresh vegetables. Not a lot of people get excited about eating a carrot or a stalk of celery, but if they are dipped in a creamy hummus, it's a totally different story. I found that I can trick myself into eating more fresh vegetables if I have hummus in my fridge. Also, try replacing mayonnaise-based sauces with hummus in wraps and sandwiches. You can even add it to your mashed potatoes for greater nutrition and flavor.

Some people are hesitant to make hummus because they are intimidated by the word tahini. What in the world is tahini? Tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds and olive oil. Yep, only two ingredients. You can make it yourself by processing 5 parts toasted sesame seeds with 1 part of olive oil in your food processor. Or you can buy a jar of tahini paste in your grocery store. Just check the authentic food aisle. The brand that I usually buy is Peloponnese.

Make about 1 1/2 cups of hummus

• 1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 15-oz can black olives, drained
• salt to taste

In a food processor finely chop chickpeas and carrot. Add tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, black olives, and salt. Process until smooth yet a bit chunky. Easy peasy!