Cumin Pita Crisps and Lemony Hummus

January 16, 2010  •  Appetizers, Snacks

Pita crisps and hummus – I know you might be thinking, “Doesn’t the store sell both of those so why would I make my own?” Two reasons: freshness and flavor. Okay, and maybe a third, because neither is hard to make. Have you noticed I’m kind of a stickler about making your own whenever possible? And really, isn’t that why you’re reading a recipe food blog anyway?!Let’s start with the pita crisps. I find the store bought ones to be dense and thick, almost cracker like in texture. In reality pita bread is delicate, but the secret is how you prepare the chips.Cut the whole round pita bread in half, then stack the two halves on top of each other and cut them into quarters. This leaves you with triangular pieces, which you then want to separate into the two layers very carefully so they don’t tear. This separation into layers is what creates a light and delicate pita crisp instead of the dense alternative. Lay them out on a foil lined baking sheet – see the pattern I use so you can fit more in?Then you have choices – you need to get some butter or oil on them so they will have a nice crispness when baked. I have used a variety of techniques including tossing the whole batch in melted butter, spraying the tops of the pita bread with either spray butter or canola oil spray, or drizzling them with olive oil. Then season the pita bread with your spices of choice. I like a combination of cumin, coriander, paprika and salt. This flavor profile pairs particularly well with hummus, but you could also use garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder, cayenne pepper, or a number of other seasonings.Finally, bake the crisps until they are no longer soft, and turn a nice golden brown. If you are going to package them up and not eat them right away, let them cool fully first so they don’t steam and get soggy in the container. This is easy party food and your guests will appreciate that you made something instead of just opening a bag!

Cumin Pita Crisps and Lemony Hummus
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Appetizer,Snack
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 pita breads
  • Olive oil spray or butter spray (or ½ cup melted butter)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • extra virgin olive oil, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Cut pita breads into eighths, then gently peel apart the layers to create 16 triangles from each pita bread. Lay flat on foil lined baking sheets and spray liberally with cooking spray or spray butter. (If you are using melted butter, toss the pita crisps with melted butter in a bowl.) Combine spices and sprinkle over the top of the pita bread, then bake at 375 degrees until crisp and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.
  2. To make the hummus, add chickpeas, lemon zest, and lemon juice to food processor and pulse a few times. Add minced garlic to a small pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw garlic taste. Add garlic and oil from the pan to the chickpeas along with cumin, and turn food processor on. With blade running, slowly pour in more olive oil until the hummus reaches a nice creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse a couple more times to incorporate it.

 

Comments

2 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Lisa Breashears says:

    Everything looks delicious. My mouth is watering. Do you think Greg would share his recipe with Mike?

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