Hummus

I recently read about chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans) and how nutritional they are, especially once sprouted. Sprouting dried beans creates the highest possible nutrition value; it activates the beans' live enzymes and makes them more digestible. Even a small “tail” on a bean is enough to activate its superior nutritional content.

So I started my bean sprouting...

For the sprouting, I prefer to use dry organic garbanzo beans rather then already cooked beans from the can, which are loaded with preservatives. (Some recipes even ask to save the liquid from the can and use it in hummus – yuck!)

Yes, it does take more time to make such a dish -- but it sure is worth it!

It is pretty easy to do. Just follow these instructions for soaking and sprouting:
http://www.whole-body-detox-diet.com/how-to-sprout.html (I love this website).

In one article that I read it says to grind sprouted beans first and then to eat them. In another one it says to chew on them and let your jaw get some exercise. I tried both. And then I thought that it would be great to make hummus out of sprouted beans because the beans become soft enough to eat raw. (My kids did not even notice that they were eating a healthier version of hummus!)

Ingredients:
(use organic whenever possible)
2 cups (or so) sprouted garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon paprika
purified water for desired consistency

Directions:
Soak garbanzo beans for 12 hours and sprout for 2-3 days. Change the water during the day 3-4 times (see Sprouting Chart). Rinse garbanzo beans and place in hot water for 1 minute. Puree all of the ingredients in Blendtec adding only enough water to bring to reach desired consistency. Garnish with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.