Tech•Food•Horsepower

A while back I bought a bag of pita chips to go with my hummus. I happily crunched away while reading the bag. You see, since I went on a diet last year and dropped 100lbs I’ve become more aware… okay, obsessive… about nutritional information. My goodness what crap goes into something as simple as pita chips! I now pay close attention to what I put into myself, so I set out to make my own pita chips from real, actual food and spices instead of chemicals. Here’s how:

1 package fresh pita, thinner the better (I prefer wheat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp black pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano (parsley rocks too)
.5 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste (if you prefer, I don’t)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each pita into eighths, then peel the pita pieces apart (don’t be perfect, any chunks are really crunchy and awesome). In a large sealable plastic container or large plastic zip bag, combine all ingredients and mix well. Now add pita pieces and shake the heck out of it until they’re good and coated in the mixture. Pour the mess onto a large pan so you have one layer of chips and bake for 10 minutes, turn them over, bake for 10 more. See if they’re getting a nice golden shade to them, they might need a flip and 10 more minutes depending on their thickness.

Pull from the oven and let them rest until cool. Trust me, the rest makes them crunchier and crispier! I always think they’re better the next day too, definitely try it both ways! This is another great recipe that you can customize, whatever spices or flavors you like! These are also awesome in a coming cheese dip recipe…

This is one of my top favorites, it’s SO easy and quick. Hummus lovers will always ask for it (and the recipe!).

1 15oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic
3 tsp Dhanajiru powder* (alternate is 1.5 tsp cumin + 1.5 tsp coriander powders)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne or other hot pepper powder (I prefer Deggi Mirch*)
2 tbsp tahini**

Juice the lemon through a strainer into your blender or food processor. Then put everything else in and blend the hell out of it. Optional: serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with parsley or cilantro. Receive accolades. That’s it!

The beauty of hummus is it can be customized it any way you feel, like more garlic? Add it! Want it spicier? Crank up the pepper powder! It’s such a cool dish and I hope you enjoy making it!

Note about ingredients, the higher quality your primary ingredients (especially the olive oil) the better this will taste. Grind your own black pepper. Do not use lemon juice from a bottle, it will taste awful.

*Can be found at almost any Indian market, highly recommend both of these ingredients! They’re cheap too.
** Find at nearly any Mediterranean market, get a good quality tahini – it will last a while so don’t be shy.

A final note, using either my blender or food processor hasn’t yielded the wonderful perfectly smooth creaminess I love from restaurant hummus. I’m not sure if it’s just crappy equipment or what, but if you figure out how drop me a comment.

Bottom line on this category: Food I make, food I eat, you’ll find it here if it’s worth typing about!

Have you ever heard the phrase “Never trust a skinny cook?” Well, I’m skinny but you can trust me because I used to be big. Seriously, I lost 80lbs in the last year – but my taste buds didn’t shrink! Food is my second passion – I love to cook and I love to eat.

I plan to share worthy recipes, restaurants and/or meals. Lucky for you I’m probably traveling a lot in the next year so I can share new experiences! The majority of posts here will probably be around Columbus, Ohio.