Now here’s a step on the wild side. Humus is a very common middle eastern food. It’s the equivalent of Mexican refried beans, only it seems to be eaten more generally as a dip–as an appetizer, cold. It’s also served as a side to kabobs, but even then it was served cold.

It’s quite good, very mild and certainly a bit off the beaten path here in the US!

You’ll need:
2 cans of Chick peas (12oz.)
2 cloves of Garlic
Tahini sauce (made from sesame seed and sold in many supermarkets in the foreign food section or at Fiesta or a store called “Phoenicia”)
2 lemons
Food processor or a Blender

Drain the juice from the chick peas, but save the juice.
Crush and mince the garlic.

Place the peas in the food processor
Add 2 tablespoons of Tahini sauce.
Add the juice from the lemon and the garlic.

Blend the mixture until it becomes a thick sauce.
Add a little leftover juice from the chickpeas and more Tahini sauce to customize the consistency and taste.

Serve on a plate with a sprig of parsley for decoration and a sprinkle of olive oil. Use bread, chips or nan to scoop up these delicious beans!

Recipe provided by Amer Habda, a native of Lebanon. He also has a fascinating trip report of his travels to Saudi Arabia.