Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Low Fat Lime Cilantro Hummus...Mmm Good

I've heard that people are genetically predisposed to either love cilantro or hate it. I'm not sure the science behind this, or if it's actually true, but if it is, I fall into the "love it" category. I cannot get enough of it, it's one of the herbs that, just a hint of it in a dish is amazing. I prefer more than a hint though, I prefer a fist full.

The weather is actually starting to not suck everyday, the sun is rising earlier and earlier, and going to bed later and later; and it's not ass biting cold outside every minute of every day. Its the time of year when you just feel like you have more time because you have more daylight. I love this time of year. I love summer better, but this time is still pretty damn good. I eat cilantro all year round, but for some reason even in the dead of winter, it reminds me of warm weather.

This hummus is very good, if you are a cilantro lover, please make it, its so much better than any dip you're going to find in the market, and it's vegan, so you can feel all self righteous when you eat it.

Low Fat Lime Cilantro Hummus
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
6 tbs water
juice of one lime
zest of one lime
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
2 tbs tahini
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 small garlic clove minced

1.Process the chickpeas, water, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, tahini, 2 tsp of the oil, salt and garlic together in the food processor until very smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

2. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. (The hummus covered can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to temperature and season with additional lemon juice, salt, and cayenne as needed before serving.) To serve, make a well in the center of the hummus, drizzle with remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the well.

Per 1/4 Cup Serving: Call 100; Fat 5g; Sat Fat .5g; Chol 0mg; Carb 10g; Protein 4g; Fiber 3g; Sodium 320mg

Rating = So Damn Good

12 comments:

Sharon said...

I believe its safe to say that I'm predisposed to love it. Somehow this gene was passed onto me, because my parents absolutely HATE it. Can't even stand the smell. Keep the cilantro recipes coming. I'm going to try and make this to use up all my cilantro.

grace said...

love it. i'm assuming that the handful goes into the food process with everything else? this is a stellar version of my favorite spread. :)

Anonymous said...
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Unknown said...

That sounds fantastic! I am definitely predisposed to love cilantro.

Anonymous said...

It is most definitely true. I think it's about your ph balance or something. I am predisposed to HATE IT. It tastes like laundry detergent. Gag. Why'd you ruin a perfectly good hummus recipe? JK ;)

JB said...

Lauren, I wish you loved it because it's sooooo goood.

brisa said...

I'm new to your blog and my husband and I LOVE it:)) Nice recipe. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Low fat hummus is like low fat oil. There isn't such a thing. At list 30% of the hummus should be tahini (the dishs name is "Hummus bi Tahini"). Tahini is 50% fat.

Anyhow, this all low-fat thing has gone out of proportions. The correct question isn't "how much fat" you eat but "what kind of fat". Tahini, like olive oil, is in the "good fat" section.

JB said...

Well, gee Hummus Guy, thanks for the pontification, but I know a few things about good fat versus bad fat, and I still like to make low fat versions of recipes, even if it is reducing the amount of "good" fat in the dish. And I fully believe you should eat what you like, and guess what? I like the low fat version, so I eat it.

Sharon said...

Despite Hummus Guy's doubts, I made this and its AWESOME. I'm going to post it on my blog soon. Thanks for the great recipe.

Kyle said...

I love this hummus recipe. I just finished reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and the results of many studies concluded that fat-intake, whether from animal sources or plant sources, should be kept very low (about 10% of total calories) because excess fat can be attributed to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, and other maladies. Take that "hummus guy".

This awesome low-fat vegan recipe is definitely going to become a staple in my house.

Mike Panic said...

I don't see what's low fat about this versus other recipes for hummus. I will be trying the lime & cilantro mix, but I agree with hummus guy. Tahini is 18-24 grams of fat per serving, depending what brand you buy, olive oil is 16-26 grams of fat and chickpeas are 1-3 grams of fat.