Garlic-Jalapeno Hummus

I have this thing about beans. For years, I swore up and down that I hated them. I refused to eat them, I abhorred chili that included beans. Then I realized that it wasn't beans that I didn't like - it was the texture. So I began adding pureed beans to several of my recipes (it gives the chili an incredibly silky texture, by the way!).

In a similar vein, I thought hummus was creepy. I'd never been exposed to it as a child, so in college when I saw people just dipping stuff into this tub of brown gunk I said "ew" and never thought more about it. Mind you, I didn't actually have any idea what hummus was - just that it looked gross.

Fast forward to Alaska, and more specifically to Orso. Most restaurants provide you with bread and butter. Orso does not give you butter. They give you something else. Obediently, I spread it on my bread and realized that this stuff tasted good! After a time or two, I realized that it was basically pureed beans and garlic. Okay, I said, that makes sense! It wasn't for several months that someone pointed out to me that this was actually hummus.

Revelation!

This became our pre- and post-Thanksgiving snack. Pre-Thanksgiving because you are hungry, but don't want to fill up before dinner, so a slice of bread with hummus does the trick! Post-Thanksgiving because my husband went back for fourths and was incapable of eating anything more than this for two days!

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
4 slices jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
water

Combine first five ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until blended together. Add water to adjust to desired texture.