Homemade Hummus & Christmas Chips

Hummus is a Mediterranean dip or spread commonly served in Lebanon along side pita bread. I love that it is made from the adorable sounding chickpea, or garbanzo bean (not so adorable sounding). I often buy hummus, but kind of kick myself afterwards for going the convenient route, because it is really not hard to make.

This month our exploration of Lebanon at Mommy Maleta coincides with the approaching Christmas season, so I had an idea. I thought I would make Homemade Hummus and Christmas Chips. The chips are the shape of Christmas trees which make it festive. And they also remind me of the famous Cedar Trees in Lebanon. What a great combo!

 Ingredients

• For Hummus
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained (reserve the liquid)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup gently-packed flat-leaf parsley
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• 6 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid

• For Christmas Chips
• 1 package spinach tortillas or flatbread
• small amount of olive oil to brush on chips
• sea salt

Instructions

• • For Hummus
  • Place minced garlic, salt, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice in a blender and mix.
  • Add chickpeas, parsley, chili powder & chickpea liquid. Pulse until smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula to incorporate all those delicious ingredients.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as you see fit. Add more chickpea liquid if you want a smoother consistency.
  • Serve with Christmas tree shaped chips for a festive appetizer!

• For Christmas Chips
• Place spinach tortillas one at a time one a cutting board.
• Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter to form tree shaped chips.
• Spread chips on a cookie sheet.
• Lightly brush chips with olive oil & sprinkle with salt.
• Place in a 350° oven for about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and crisp
• recipe adapted from Hummus Recipe over at david lebovitz

This is a fun, simple recipe that kids can make with parents, grandparents or anyone old & wise enough to safely operate a blender, open the chickpeas, & mince garlic. Kids can use tree shaped cookie cutters to make trees out of the tortillas. We had to press pretty firmly with our cookie cutters. So adults may need to help out.

I hope you really enjoy this recipe for Homemade Hummus & Christmas Chips! Check out my previous posts in my Lebanon series so you can look at the Lebanese flag and talk about the famous cedars of Lebanon while you make this yummy appetizer!

Previous Posts In This Series:
Week 1: Flag, Map, Country Facts
Week 2: Interview with Maria from Beirut
Week 3: Craft | Mini Wooden Birdhouses

This post is linked up over at… Smart Schoolhouse , Sincerely Paula , With A Blast ,Cornerstone Confessions , Social Media Saturdays , Laugh & Learn Link Up , Crystal’s Tiny Treasures , Education Possible , All Things With Purpose , Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop