Homemade Tortilla Chips and Hummus

Crunchy and salty - what a combo. I love anything that's crunchy and salty, but alas, most food that falls into that category is not the wisest choice for someone trying to slim down. I recently decided to try to make my own tortillas and hummus so I could have healthy, yummy snack that's also - you guessed it - crunchy and salty. I am pleased to say my attempt turned out delicious, satisfying, and delightfully healthy.

Hummus is one of my favorite foods - I make it from time to time but find it hard to control my portions, since I love it so much. This time I've decided to package it in smaller containers and eat it as a meal instead of a snack - I can have more and it's still a good, healthy meal. If you look around the Internet you can find all kinds of recipes. Many people like their hummus with roasted red peppers or calamata olives - go with what you like, but keep in mind the olives add quite a bit of salt. To make it a la Chef Kim, take a can of chick peas (AKA garbanzo beans) and drain. Throw them in a food processor or blender with several cloves of garlic (I like a LOT of garlic - the flavor is pretty strong, so add a little then taste. Add a little more, and taste...). Squirt in a bit of lemon juice and voila - hummus! Easy, right? Sometimes I add a little olive oil, too, if I'm looking for a creamier blend. Again, it's all about going with what you like.

To make the tortilla chips, you can either buy the soft tortillas or make them from scratch. As tempted as I was to make them from scratch, I had to opt for the store bought ones. There's just so much I can do! There are a few from which to choose - corn, flour, whole wheat, low carb... watch the low carb ones, though - they have artificial sweetener in them. Don't even get me started on artificial sweetener! I chose the whole wheat ones in the hopes they would keep me fuller longer. Take the tortillas and cut them with a pizza cutter into 6-8 wedges. Lay them on a cookie sheet and brush lightly with olive oil (I used an olive oil spray and it worked really well). Sprinkle on a touch of salt (I love sea salt) and bake in the oven at 350. Keep a close eye on them as they tend to burn pretty quickly, but they take about 6 minutes. I ate some while they were still warm and they were amazingly good. I'm getting excited about making some homemade pico de gallo - another one of my good-for-you faves.

Hope you enjoy!