Homemade Hummus Crusted Chicken and Squash

Hummus is easier than it looks to make...if you have a food processor...with all of the food processing parts.  I am missing my food processing blade which (of course) is the only part they don't sell on the cuisinart website.  The only thing more annoying than missing the blade is my inability to remember my missing blade (not where it is, just the fact that it's missing). I have everything prepped and loaded then I realize... so I try the immersion blender, regular blender, and finally my mini food processor... in mini batches.

Man I have a lot of blending appliances...and dirty dishes.

Homemade Hummus
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup tahini paste (found with the peanut butter)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup reserved chickpea cooking water

Soak the chickpeas overnight with a ton of water. These things easily double. Drain.

In a pot saute the chickpeas and baking soda for 3 minutes.  Then fill the pot with plenty of water and a couple of pinches of salt. Boil for 40 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender (can be squashed with two fingers).

Reserve 1/4 cup of the water then drain the chickpeas. "Peel" the chickpeas by pinching the insides out and into a food processor. Discard the 'skins'.  

Blend the chickpeas for about a minute until smooth-ish. Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and blend until pureed. Taste, taste, taste! If it has too much of a smokey/earthy taste add more lemon juice.

Add water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.

Transfer to a bowl and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Next time: sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, paprika, fancy olive oil - the possibilities are truly endless.

Hummus Crusted Chicken and Squash

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cup hummus
• 2 lemons
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place zucchini, squash, and onion into the baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss.

Pat down the chicken to dry and place on top of the squash.  Salt and pepper the chicken then cover each breast with hummus.

Squeeze one lemon over the dish. Thinly sliced the other lemon and place around the chicken. Sprinkle the dish with smoked paprika.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve!