Today, I want to share recipes for a couple of things you can make at home that aren't as hard to make as you'd think.
Those items are tahini, hummus and olive tapenade.
Tahini
2 cups raw sesame seeds
3/4 c olive oil
In an oven heated to 350 degrees, toast the seeds in the oven 8-10 minutes. Toss the seeds a few times and make sure not to let them turn brown. After they've cooled, put the seeds in the food processor with a small amount of olive oil. Continue processing and drizzling the oil in steadily until the tahini is creamy but not runny. Scrape the sides of the food processor as needed. Store in a jar in the fridge for two to three months.
Hummus
2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
1/4 - 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (depending on how lemony you like it)
1/4 cup tahini
3 TB olive oil
3 cloves roasted garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground red cayenne pepper
salt to taste
Add all ingredients in a food processor. Process until you have a nice dip-like consistency. Scrape the sides of the food processor as needed.
Olive Tapenade
1 can each black and green olives (6 oz drained weight each)
1 large clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon rind
Process all ingredients together for about 5 seconds in a food processor. Scrape down the sides if needed. Pulse a few more times to get the mixture to a texture like (dare I say it?) caviar.
