My favorite thing

I LOVE hummus! I mean, really, I could eat it every day for breakfast lunch and dinner! So, here is the recipe that I have come up with to make at home since I'm not a fan of hummus at the grocery store. However, if I do buy hummus, I buy it from Trader Joe's. They have the best store bought hummus, by far. Now, if you want AMAZING hummus that tastes just like it would if you were sitting in a restaurant in Israel, go to the Pita House in Greenville, SC. Ridiculously delicious!

I actually talked to the owner of the Pita House and he told me all of the ingredients that they put into their hummus. However, he laughed and said that he can't even recreate it at home the same as the Pita House because they make it in such a huge batch. That made me feel a little better about how far mine tastes from theirs : ).

16 ounce can of garbanzo beans and 1/2 cup reserved liquid (Or you can buy dry, which will taste better and soak and cook them overnight. Here is a great step by step on how to make hummus with dry beans.)
3-5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup tahini (can find in all grocery stores near the olives usually)

Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and evoo in the food processor. Add 1/2cup of liquid from the can of chickpeas. Then, add 1/4 cup of the tahini. Taste and decide whether you want more Tahini taste or not. I usually prefer more but everyone is different. Add the rest of the Tahini if desired. You also might need to add more salt. Making hummus is definitely a taste as you go thing!

Memories of Keifer's

So, probably seven years ago or more, I went to Jackson, Ms with a friend from college. She took me to the most fabulous place...Keifer's. If you are EVER in the area, you must go there. The best part about Keifer's is their feta cheese dip. It is absolutely amazing! I've only eaten there once and I still dream about this feta yumminess!

Yesterday, my mouth was watering for it. Obviously, it is a little far to drive for me. So, I thought I would try to create something that is similar. This is in NO way as good as Keifer's, but it is good and will satisfy my craving somewhat.

2 cups Feta cheese
1/2 cup thick greek yogurt (I use full fat)
heaping 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp EVOO
pepper to taste (and maybe salt but be careful because Feta is a salty cheese)

Combine everything in a food processor and pulse until combined. You want to have a few chunks of feta cheese. Next time, I might try cutting the red wine vinegar in half. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup and I used a 1/4 cup when I made it. It stills seems like too much. The vinegar still overpowers the feta taste just a bit. So, I would suggest combining everything except for the vinegar and then just add a Tbsp at a time until you like the taste.

I had this on pita bread with Trader Joe's hummus since I didn't have the energy to make my own. It was a great lunch!