toodles to tahini

Back when summer was still here, along with its surrounding warmth and sunshine, I pretty much lived off of basil hummus.

Bunches and bunches of home-grown basil found their way into my heart, my home, my food processor.  I worried that the family would grow tired of this beautiful combination, but nobody every did.  We ate it with lunch.  With dinner.  And sometimes I even snuck in a spoonful or two for an afternoon snack. 

But when summer disappeared, so did basil hummus.  Until next year.

Tonight, I was craving hummus once again.  And since basil was no longer a viable option, I would simply have to discover something new and exciting. 

Secret ingredient of choice?

Yes, you actually did see that correctly.

Peanut butter.

The idea came to me while I was flipping through countless hummus recipes, all asking for ‘tahini.’  Well, I don’t commonly have tahini in my pantry.  Let me rephrase that.  I have never had tahini in my pantry. 

“So,” I asked myself.  “Why not peanut butter?”

I googled the idea—just to make sure I hadn’t completely gone off the deep end—and realized that other people have tried this before as well.  Some people claimed that the peanut butter flavor threw them for a loop.  Others said this peanut flavor disappears by the following morning.  Others said they preferred the peanut version over tahini.

That’s it.  My interest was piqued.  There was absolutely no turning back.

My dusty food processor was pulled out of hibernation and put to use, once again.  No basil this time.  Just peanut butter.

Zwurrppp…20 seconds in the processor.  The result was puffy.  Whippy.  Garlicky.  Tangy.  Soft. 

In one word: Interesting.

I couldn’t decide if I liked it on first bite.  So I took another.  And then I loved it.

Obviously, the hummus is finding its way into my lunch for tomorrow…

…along with some veggies and a slightly battered (but still delicious) apple. 

I’m kind of excited.

Peanut Butter Hummus
This is definitely a complex and savory “peanut butter” flavor.  If “sweet” is what you’re after, you may want to nix the garlic and lemon juice.  Try adding some cinnamon or another common “sweet” spice to add some excitement.   I also think this would go well with canned pumpkin.  Just sayin’.

• 1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 c. natural peanut butter
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt (less or more depending on sodium level of beans and peanut butter)
• garlic powder, sprinkled liberally

1. Process ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. 

 Question: What is your favorite flavor of hummus?  Have you ever tried an “unusual” or slightly “unexpected” flavor?

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