Recently I have begun to cook much more as I now live on my own in an apartment and do not have the luxury of coming back to a fresh cooked meal by my mother. Instead I am left to eat whatever our dining services toss out or cook for myself. As it is I have an unhealthy addiction to both the Travel Channel and more importantly Food Network. The Food Network is a staple of my delicious cable TV diet and I could not live without it. This particular recipe was inspired by a Travel Channel special of which I cannot currently recall the name of. I was watching a show and saw hummus being served and immediately began to crave warm pitas and fresh hummus. I had never made either so I decided to give it a shot and fortunately it came out pretty well. Though the recipe I use for pitas is more of a flat bread than actual pita, due to its lack of yeast and resulting lack of puffiness, it is still delicious.

Pitas

For the pitas you will need:

• 3 Cups of flour
• 1 Teaspoon of salt (or more if you desire a saltier snack)
• 1 to 1.5 cups of warm water
• Vegetable oil or olive oil (whichever you have)

First you will want to mix together the flour and salt thoroughly until they are well combined. Next add in enough water to form a ball and stir it until smooth. (Beware, you will probably want to take off any jewelry that you like because this part can get messy and pretty sticky!) Proceed to knead the dough with your hands or whatever you like for about 5 minutes. After you do this, divide the dough into portions of anywhere from 6-12 lumps. Then take the lumps and roll them into smooth balls of dough. Next you will need to cover all of the balls of dough with a damp paper towel and let them rest for at least 10 minutes so it can relax. After the 10 minutes are up, press each piece of dough flat and get it fairly thin, but not so much so that it becomes transparent. (Note: You will need more flour in this stage to keep the dough from sticking to everything.) If you have a griddle, pull that out and lightly cover it with your oil of choice (vegetable, olive) and place your dough on the griddle. You will be able to tell when one side is done by the brown bubbles that form. As a rule of thumb, allow the pita to sit on the griddle for at least 1 minute on each side. This part may seem tedious, but it is well worth the work and wait. When the pitas come off the griddle they are delicious and fresh so have your hummus ready to go!

Hummus

For the hummus, you will need a few more ingredients.

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup water (May substitute 1/2 cup of chickpea juices from can)
• 1/2 cup of tahini paste (you can substitute a little sesame oil if necessary)
• 5 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil (Extra-Virgin)
• Fresh ground, black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, water/juice,  paste, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt, and garlic and then puree the ingredients. While the ingredients are blending, pour in the olive oil and mix until it is fully incorporated. Season with pepper for taste. Then place the hummus in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours to allow the flavors to blend together. When you are ready to eat the dip, remove the hummus from the refrigerator and mix in the parsley and remaining lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil for a garnish if you please. Any leftovers will be good if kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

This dish is fairly simple and a healthy, delicious afternoon snack! 

Feel free to leave your suggestions for improvement or your own findings!

Until the next time!

-Daniel