Toasted Sesame + Masala Hummus

Guys. I love hummus. Like, really love hummus. All kinds. Yes, even the chocolate one (which BTW tastes like brownie batter.) Sometimes,, though I forget that I can come up with more fun flavors, or more of what I want at home than buying store bought. And honestly, it takes only 5 minutes and a food processor, and you've got a batch that'll last the week and you know exactly what is in it.

Since my friends at Choice Organic Teas had sent me a few new teas to recipe test with, I thought it might be fun to try to incorporate one. Like masala chai. I also LOVE sesame and decided to give it a whirl of mixing the two. The outcome? a super flavorful yet light hummus that I think could go on just about anything.

One of the reasons I love hummus is because its such a good quality snack. With a base of chickpeas and tahini (a sesame seed paste) you are going to get some great levels of protein and fiber in even just 2 tablespoons. Which means what exactly? They will keep you full, for longer. With 3 grams of protein in a serving of chickpeas, and around 5 grams of protein in tahini, that's a solid snack to fill you up. Keeping you full means you're less likely to grab a snickers from the vending machine at work because you only had carrots for your afternoon snack and your jonesin' for something because your blood sugar dropped. Whenever I have carrots, cucumbers, crackers, you name it, I almost always try to have a scoop of hummus on the side.

Now sesame seeds - (found of course in the tahini) and because I added them not only help with digestion due to their high fiber content, but they also contain high levels of zinc - which is known to keep your immune system strong AND can help with your skin and hair. A little wonder seed if you ask me.

Now to making the hummus - if you've got a food processor and 5 minutes, you'll be good to go. Simply add in all of the ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth. I used one tablespoon of the chickpea liquid (also known as aquafaba, which has a TON of recipes you can do with this) to help thin out my hummus. If you like yours a little thicker (or thinner) adjust the amount of additional liquid you put in. I like to use half of the toasted sesame seeds to mix in, and then half to go on top, and I'll keep in the fridge for about a week (if it lasts that long!)

Toasted Sesame + Masala Hummus (V/GF)

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

• 1 can drained chickpeas

• 1/3 cup tahini

• 1/3 cup lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teabag of Choice Organic's Masala Chai Tea

• 1 tablespoon of chickpea liquid (or more of you like it thinner)

Directions

1. In a pan over high heat, toast sesame seeds until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

2. In the food processor add all ingredients except seeds. Pulse until smooth.

3. Remove from food processor and mix in half of the toasted sesame seeds. Place into bowl and top with remaining sesame seeds.

xx

Rita