Lemony Herb Hummus

As a young child I was very thin; in fact so thin I was teased and bullied for my weight. It wasn't that I didn't eat, I ate all the time, I just couldn't put on weight. By the time I was a teenager, I reached an average weight which I maintained until fifteen years ago. Due to a variety of reasons, I found myself fifty pounds overweight. My mother gently told me to take it off. So I joined a gym and became very disciplined with portion sizes. Eventually the weight came off; it took only 1 1/2 years to put on the weight and 3 1/2 years to take it off.

Through healthy eating, I have kept the weight down. One of my favorite go to snacks is vegetables with hummus. Lemony Herb Hummus, so  delicious and creamy, is a scrumptious snack to indulge in without the guilt.

                                                      Lemony Herb Hummus 
                                                               adapted from         
                                                  The Skinny Taste Cookbook

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas
   rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern beans,
   rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon tahini
Pinch of grated lemon zest
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black
   pepper, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
Pinch of paprika, or ground cumin, for garnish
Sprig of fresh parsley,  for garnish

Directions

Put the chickpeas and beans in a medium pot and add just enough water to cover.  Set the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer about 1 minute,  then drain the beans, reserving some of the water.

Transfer the chickpeas and beans answer 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved water to a food processor. Pulse a few times.

In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Add the mixture to the food processor and process until smooth and creamy, 5 to 7 minutes. If it is too thick, add more of the reserved water.

Transfer to a serving dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.  Drizzle the olive oil over the top, sprinkle with black pepper and paprika  or cumin, and put the sprig of parsley on top.

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