I was literally jumping up and down with excitement this morning while the FedEx man watched with concerned awe.
I own a FOOD PROCESSOR!!!!!!!
Months ago when we were filling out our wedding registry, I jokingly referred to this appliance as “the reason we are getting married.” And since then, it has become clear to Kyle that it was less of a joke than he initially thought…
Of course, I’m (mostly) kidding. I love Kyle with all my heart. But I’m also a huge foodie and have felt seriously limited for the past few years with my tiny kitchen and lack of cooking necessities.
Kyle found my reaction to the package both amusing and pathetic…informing me that it looked like I was cradling a newborn baby. He wasn’t too far off.
First things first, Kyle and I both watched the informational/tutorial DVD. Yes, we are those people. Nerd alert!
Next up…hummus. What else?
Making anything other than hummus for it’s inaugural use would just be wrong, don’t you think?
There will undoubtedly be many more to come, but your first is always the most memorable. So, without further ado, here’s a simple hummus recipe from me to you.
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/4 raw red bell pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 garlic clove (I used 1 tsp Garlic Gold garlic nuggets)
- salt and pepper to taste
Once I added everything, I pushed pulse and watched in awe as the above ingredients transformed nearly instantaneously.
Amazing!
Then I added in (what I am guessing was) about 3 tbsp of EVOO while pulsing a second time.
Boo-ya! Home-made hummus with a hint of bell pepper goodness.
I tupp-ed up the majority of it to solidify in the fridge a bit more…hard as it was to practice patience, the flavors are better once allowed to meld together, and the texture is better once allowed to set more. So patience it was…
I still grabbed a slice of bread to scrape the insides of the processor clean, including the beater. 😀
After a few hours in the fridge, it was ready to be consumed.
The first taste test was straight up (with a spoon from the tub). No other food distractions, just hummus. Flavor-wise it held up nicely, so I quickly followed up with a plate of veggies and a piece of toast.
Next I made it into a hummus/avocado/spinach sammie.
Are you drooling yet?
For a first effort, I am giving the recipe a B+ because it had excellent flavor, but the consistency wasn’t quite how I wanted it.
I prefer a thicker hummus, so I’d either decrease the extra virgin olive oil to 1-2 tbsp or increase the quantity of chickpeas.
Something tells me there will be plenty more opportunities to perfect this hummus recipe in the future.
Congratulations! I’d be lost without my food processor, i seriously love it. I am also loving the sound of your hummus and the combo with avocado- gonna have to give it a go, for sure 🙂
Love the hummus recipe and congrats on the food processor. The sandwich looks amazing! 🙂
I love avocado and hummus combo!
I had my fair trials of hummus making and I don’t think it’s the oil that makes it runny-if nothing else, itmakea it creamier!! You must must make it with a lot of tahini.like 2 tbsp~1/4cup per cup of chickpeas. The correct amount of Tahini and lemon juice and a wer bit if extra virgin olive oil is what makes a good hummus I believe!
I was so excited to get my food processor too! Much better for banana soft serve as well!!!!
Maybe grind the sesame seeds first, so it is more like tahini. That would maybe help make it creamier. Also, use less water!
Oh that’s so exciting!! I can’t wait until I get my hands on a food processor 🙂 I can imagine the delivery dude eyeing my weirdness, too. Oh well! Haha.
I just got my food processor, too!!! Yay, wedding registry… It’s so beautiful. Sometimes I just stare at it there, on the counter, in all its shiny new glory and endless potential.
This hummus recipe looks delicious!! I am going to run to the store today to make this! Thanks!
I’m so excited for you!!!! I got that EXACT food processor as a wedding gift too, and it just broke last week…I was so sad I could have cried. What occasion can I try to score another one? I can’t wait to see your food processor creations!!
Oh no!! I take it the warranty has expired? Hmmm…does a new school year count as an “occasion”…??
is it so wrong to admit that one of the major reasons i want to get married is so that i can register somewhere…
i can’t wait to put insane-o coffee machine on my list.
and i’m so glad you hummused it as your first go!
I love my food processor!!! I just made hummus yesterday. Oh so good! You will love that ‘baby’ forever!
How wonderful. I kiss my food processor daily. I have a yummy recipe to share. I was itching to make hummus the other day but I only had canned pintos. Here’s how it went:
1 can of pintos, rinsed (save about 1/4 cup of the bean juice)
2 tbs tahini
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 hand full of cilantro
dash of cumin
dash of salt
dash of red pepper flakes
PULSE!
The add the bean water to smooth it out. IT’S SO GOOD. Use any bean, I dare you.
You’re my hero, by the way.
AMAZING! Why have I never tried pintos as a dip before? I’m definitely making this soon. Thanks so so much! I think a white bean dip is in the future too…
PS Your comment just made my day
I AM *SO* JEALOUS!!! Seriously…I have been drooling over food processors for years. I need one! I make hummus in the vita mix and will never ever make it any other way (SO smooth and creamy and good!), but for other things it would be amazing. Like falafel and other dips and grating/chopping veggies, and, and, and…sigh. I need to get married, lol!
Enjoy your new baby/toy/appliance!
Courtney
I tried making hummus in my blender the other day and it didn’t work out too well! Mine was also not thick enough. Did you dump the liquid from the chickpea can into the food processor? I did that but I think I was supposed to drain the chickpeas first. Oops.
Yours looks much better though! Seriously, mine was like chickpea soup. As much as I hate to waste, I had to throw it out.
I did dump out the bean jice, but I still added in extra water. Probably will leave that out next time…definitely sad to have chickpea soup, haha. Sorry about that!
Congrats on the new addition to your family! 🙂 haha
New kitchen appliances always make me so excited too!
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I don’t have a food processor but have been looking at them. I’ve actually been considering the one you just got.
Can you tell me what the clean up is like. Is it dishwasher safe?
Yay for the new food processor! I have to say, once I got one, my homemade hummus consumption reached obsessive frequency:)
It is dishwasher safe, but it’s sooo dang easy to clean that I’ve been doing it by hand mostly. None of those odd, hard to clean nooks of older appliances….they made it extremely user friendly and washer friendly. I only wish I knew how to store the sharp blades more conveniently. But yeah, it’s really a dream appliance. I have nothing negative to say about it whatsoever.
Congrats on your processor!
A few tips on hummus. If you like it super thick, like I do:
1) Nuke the chickpeas before you use them, or steam them. Do something to make them warm. They’ll blend into a creamier texture.
2) Never EVER add extra liquid till you’ve already pulsed and gotten a sense of the consistency. Sometimes you don’t need any at all to have a perfect batch. For me, 1/4 cup tahini and 1 tbsp olive oil usually do it. But,
3) If you do want more liquid, never use water. Use the leftover liquid from the chickpea can (or from cooking them). It has starch in it, so it’ll thin the mix down without making it watery.
The important thing is to never add liquid until you’ve blended a fair bit — that way you control texture gradually.
Have FUN!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!
HURRAY!!! Beautiful colors blended together. You’ll have to make more and share for a…ahem, house warming?
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