Kalamata Olive Hummus

Back when I used to work in Virginia, there was a restaurant called Perfect Pita in my building. I think it is a chain since I've seen them other places around DC as well. Anyway, besides the fact that this place served an amazing falafel sandwich, they also always had free samples of their hummus out during lunchtime. On days when I wanted a quick lunch I could go down to Perfect Pita, order my falafel, and then gorge myself on their different types of hummus until my order came up. And their hummus flavors were awesome: jalapeño, black bean and cilantro, roasted red pepper, kalamata olive-- even the traditional hummus was delicious.

I also used to live closer to a Whole Foods (that was pretty dangerous... Whole Paycheck indeed) that sold Perfect Pita hummus in their prepared foods section. Man oh man did I eat me some hummus. It's just this perfect blend of creamy and salty deliciousness. I ate it with everything from pretzels to tortilla chips to carrots. It's just such an easy snack and one you don't have to feel that guilty about. Vegan, gluten-free, I mean, it's mostly beans!

I now no longer work in Virginia nor do I live quite as close to the Whole foods so I do not get Perfect Pita hummus quite as often as I used to. However, the other day I had a hankering for it and decided to see if I could recreate their kalamata olive hummus on my own.

Now, I will admit right here and now that this hummus does not even come close to theirs, but considering that I have had mixed results with making hummus in the past, this came out pretty good.

Deliciosity

My recipe, should you choose to try it yourself:

• 1 can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
• 1 clove of garlic
• 7 pitted kalamata olives (I would have added more but I ran out)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil (It's a lot of oil. If you're watching your fat intake, swap out 2 tablespoons and use water instead)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Makes about 2 cups of hummus. Enjoy!