Variations on Hummus

Here are some recipes of dips from my Berber Brunch. You can be very creative with your hummus dips, branching out with Squash, White Bean, Carrots etc. These recipes are adapted from Oleana, the Boston restaurant headed by Ana Sortun.

Avocado Hummus (Middle)

2 ripe avocados

1/4 cup tahini

3 cloves chopped garlic

3 teaspoons cumin

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Blend Avocados, tahini, garlic, 2 teaspoons of cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and salt/pepper in food processor until smooth and creamy.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap directly on top of avocado so no air gets into it to turn it brown.

Serves 4.

Creamy Parsnip Hummus (Top)

1lb parsnips (6 medium or 4 large), peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup tahini

1 tablespoon of garlic

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

In medium sauce pan, cover parsnips with water and boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer till soft, about 20 minutes. Drain parsnips, reserving 5 tablespoons of liquid.

In working bowl, puree parsnips with reserved cooking liquid, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, butter, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper till creamy and smooth.

Serves about 4.

Hummus (Bottom)

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
3 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
juice of 2-3 lemons
1/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
Paprika, pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

1 In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/3 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste. Add more lemon juice if prefer tangy, or more tahini if you prefer the taste more pastey.

Makes about 4 cups.

Serve all dips with toasted Pita Bread.