Nacho Average Bean Dip (Hummus Recipe)

Last week, I guess I didn't think keeping up with my family was enough for me to do on a Wednesday night. So when I was making homemade 'Charlie Boys' (which is essentially a tavern) paying homage to the amazing Midwest delicacy found only here in Sioux City, Iowa at Miles Inn...I figured I'd make a couple of healthy sides to go with it. Of course an entire deliciously ripe seedless watermelon is a staple at our house ever since I was about 30 weeks pregnant with Tri because I have an unquenchable addiction to them, but I wanted something else to go with it. I looked in the pantry and the fridge, I had some baby carrots...what else goes better with raw carrots than HUMMUS! 

The weekend before, my sister brought some homemade hummus to the pool and she had added cilantro to it,  I could've eaten the whole bowl by myself! I LOVE cilantro, it's a tasty herb that you can find fresh at almost every grocery store, and I think it goes amazing in EVERYTHING. There is a small percentage of the population that think cilantro tastes like soap...look it up, it's true. I, however, am not one of those people, I love cilantro on anything, eggs, sandwiches, soups, salads, you name it! Cilantro naturally detoxifies your body which makes it a powerhouse flavor boosting herb. So, I thought I'd make my own version of a homemade hummus and share with you what I came up with!

I wanted to keep it simple, so I looked up a basic hummus recipe on my beloved Pinterest, I already planned to add cilantro to the mix...and then make it my own from there! My sister's called for taco seasoning and you all know how I feel about prepackaged seasonings...too many additives! Here's what you'll need:

Homemade Hummus

• cilantro- about 1/2 cup
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil
• garbanzo beans/ chick peas-drained & rinsed
• 1 clove garlic minced, or 1/2 tsp ready-minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP water

I put all of my ingredients into my food processor and mixed until I liked the consistency. I tasted it, and as per usual, I added (without measuring) some things from there...here's what I added going off of taste, but I'm guesstimating amounts!

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• some fresh lemon zest ( lime would be great also)
• a dash of cayenne pepper
• another 1/4+ cup of cilantro
• another 2-3 TBSP lemon juice

Anyway, this was simple, but super refreshing & a hit at the table. Don't get me wrong I don't discriminate against store bought hummus, in fact I like the whole line Sabra has to offer...but sometimes you just need to make something yourself to see how simple it is. I of course love that homemade means there aren't any artificial colors, flavors, or additives in the recipe. Give this a try and see what you think! I served ours with baby carrots, but this would be great on a veggie tray, or with pita chips, crackers...or just on a spoon!