Jalapeño Cheddar Hummus

If you read my recipe for plain hummus a few weeks ago, you know that it is one of my favorite snacks. I eat it all of the time. Unfortunately that means I tend to get sick of it and sometimes need a break. But one of the great things about hummus is that you can make so many different flavors and varieties. Sick of plain hummus? Make garlic hummus. Or lemon hummus. Or red pepper hummus. Or jalapeño cheddar hummus! 

At the end of my post I mentioned that I wanted to try making jalapeño hummus. Fortunately my good friend Paige, who currently lives in Buenos Aires (and has a fabulous blog called La Panza Porteña), sent me her recipe for jalapeño cheddar hummus. I took a stab at it this past weekend and, I'm embarrassed to admit, ate almost the entire batch in two days. That's my only issue with hummus. I have no self-control. Zero.

I ate it with Crunchmaster Gluten-Free Sea Salt Multi-Grain Crackers (love these, by the way).

I ate it on a slice of Meredith's Gluten-Free Bread with tomato from my dad's garden on top.

I ate it with sliced red pepper (but I was so busy eating that I failed to take a picture). And I wanted to eat it over eggs, but there's still time for that.

Jalapeño Cheddar Hummus

Serves 6

1 15 oz can chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeds removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground paprika (her recipe called for cumin, but I didn't have that in the pantry, and this worked perfectly)
1/2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Combine everything in a food processor or blender (except the cheese) until blended smooth. Add some extra water if necessary to thin it out.

Remove from blender and fold in cheddar cheese. Process again until well combined.

Thanks for the recipe, Paige! Next I want to try this Sweet Potato Hummus with Fennel Seeds from the fantastic vegan blog Sweet Potato Soul, which I recently discovered. And this Edamame Hummus from Skinnytaste. Trader Joe's sells the best edamame hummus, but I'm thinking I can make it from scratch and it'll probably taste just as good or even better. Any other recommendations?

Hummus

If you're gluten-free (and honestly, even if you're not), you'll probably agree that finding good, healthy snacks can sometimes be challenging. My snack time is usually around 4 pm, when the work day is starting to wind down, my lunch is wearing off, and I need an extra kick of energy if I'm going to hit the gym after work.

For a while I was eating these thinkThin bars for protein, but they weren't sitting too well, and I realized that was because they contained soy, which I have since cut out of my diet completely (and I've been feeling much better).

Anyway, hummus has always been a go-to snack for me. Hummus and pretzels (I love Glutino's Gluten Free Pretzel Twists, but they also contain soy), hummus and red pepper, hummus and cucumber, hummus and carrots, the list goes on and on. I'm trying to remember when I really fell in love with hummus, and I think it must have been college. It seemed to be one of the only healthy snack options in our dining hall, and I have very fond memories of devouring containers and containers of hummus with my college roommates.

Since I've been eating it all of these years I figured I'd give it a shot and try making it from scratch. Boy have I been missing out! Home made hummus is a) delicious and b) incredibly easy to make.

I'm guessing that a lot of you love hummus as much as I do, and I strongly recommend that you try this at home. I've been bringing it to work and having it as a late afternoon snack, and it's also a good go-to (rather than chips and salsa) when I get home at night and need a little something to hold me off until I make dinner.

Hummus

2 cloves garlic (or, if you like it really garlic-y like I do, you can use 3 cloves)
1 can garbanzo beans, half the liquid reserved
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

In a food processor, chop garlic. Pour garbanzo beans and remaining liquid into blender. Place lemon juice, tahini, and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed.

Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Add fresh parsley for garnish and lemon zest if desired.

The next time I make hummus I may try and come up with a jalapeno recipe for some extra kick. Stay tuned!