Deliciously Homemade

Let's be honest, there are some things (not many) that aren't worth the effort or taste to make on your own. That's not the case with the recipes I'm about share with you though! These homemade hummus and french bread/baguette recipes are so good, and they don't stick around very long...in our house at least!

Hummus is a delicious dip for veggies, pita chips, baguette, etc. Or you can use it to make Hummus Pizza. It calls for tahini paste which can be kinda spendy depending on where you get it. We were able to get a pretty good size jar for $9 and it'll last us for awhile. When it runs out though, I want to try THIS recipe for tahini-free hummus.

Garlic Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained

3 TBS tahini (sesame paste)

juice from 1/2 a lemon (about 2 TBS)

2 TBS vegetable oil

2-3 TBS olive oil

10 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until pureed.

Notes: You might need to add more oil to get the consistency you want. -- The original recipe called for 6 cloves of garlic, but we found that it didn't have enough of a garlic flavor. Adjust to your taste. -- For roasted red pepper hummus, reduce the garlic and add some roasted red peppers till you get the flavor you want. It's delicious!!

Bread...who doesn't love it?! Especially homemade bread! This is a really simple and delicious recipe.  It's nice because you can get several loaves out of it depending on what size you make them. (The first time I made this I had 2 large loaves...the second time I had 3 smaller loaves and 2 baguettes.) And let's not forget that your house smells amazing while these guys are in the oven!

French Bread/Baguette

(source)

Mix - let sit for 5 minutes:

2 1/2 c. warm water

2 TBS yeast

3 TBS sugar

2 TBS yeast

Add:

1 TBS salt

1/3 c. oil

6-7 c. flour

Knead for 2-5 minutes. Cover and allow the dough to rise. When it reaches the top of the bowl, punch it down. Repeat rise/punch process 2-5 times.

Grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Shape loaves. Place on prepared baking sheets, slit tops with sharp knife and let rise for 30 more minutes. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes. (I think I only baked the baguette for 15-20 minutes.)