One of my new favorite foods is hummus.  That wonderful combination of pureed chick peas, tahini and various flavors.

A tablespoon of the magical Middle Eastern delicacy is only about 30 calories, about 12 of those from fat (the unsaturated kind).  There’s no sugars, it’s very low cholesterol, and has some good protein and vitamin B6 and manganese.

I recommend a snack of hummus with raw cut-up carrots, cherry tomatoes, peppers or green beans.  Or you might like broccoli florettes and hummus.  Dipped in with whole-wheat pita bread, it’s so good you might want to start belly dancing.

In New York City there’s even a chain of restaurants called “Hummus Place” that ONLY serves homemade hummus.  It’s awesome!  There’s hummus among us!

If you’d like to make your own, try this recipe:

1 8-10 ounce can chickpeas (also called “Garbanzo” beans sometimes), saving the juice aside.
1-2 sections of fresh garlic
1-2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
10 tablespoons tahini (or sesame seeds that have been pulverized or pureed into a paste)
1/8 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or try lime juice for a great variation)
spices–try a dash or two of any you like, possibly paprika, coriander, oregano, or even cinnamon
variations:  add in a few roasted red or yellow peppers, olives, pine nuts, onions, walnuts

Mix these together all at once in a high-speed blender until they are well mixed and whipped. Use the juice from the can of chickpeas as necessary to get the perfect consistency.  Be careful to not let the blender go too long, though, or it will end up overly mealy or mushy.