Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Hummus is sold at Whole Foods. And perhaps also in other outlets. I love them and how handy to have some in the fridge all ready to go! I've tried five varieties -- Traditional, Jalapeño Cilantro, Roasted Red Pepper, Falafel, and Spicy Black Bean, -- and I like them all! But you may not have a store carrying them nearby. Or despite their convenience, cost may be a factor. Or you just may want to try making some of these yourself.
I've listed the INGREDIENTS on each variety below. This will NOT give you the amounts to use, but you can get an idea about that from many of the excellent recipes in books featured at the foot of this blog. Also, I've put the Esselstyn's basic "My Hummus" recipe in the "East Meets West" post in this blog, and the Engine 2 Hummus is linked below as well. Normally ingredients are listed by weight on labels so this may help as well.
The one ingredient you probably won't have access to is guar gum, so you many not get the same texture, but this may give you some ideas about ingredient combinations.
A small food processor is great for making Hummus. I use the KitchenAid 3 1/2 cup model described on other pages. This hummus doesn't freeze so well so best to make the amounts you can eat in a few days.
I've made these with canned and dried beans. Canned salt-free beans give a slightly smoother texture, but I prefer the texture of those made with dried beans. I cook the dried beans in my Rice Cooker. Engine 2 uses "fresh steamed garbanzo beans" and I'm afraid I do not know how to do this at home so I just used canned or home-cooked.
All of these use sea salt, but the sodium amounts listed seem all right for regular servings. Try to use as little salt as possible and emphasize other seasonings!
Here are the ingredients in five of the Engine 2 Hummus varieties:
Traditional: Fresh steamed garbanzo beans, water, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, cumin, guar gum. (JL Note: Buy bulk sesame seeds and grind in small coffee grinder. Best to get sesame seeds WITH their hulls; otherwise they get rancid quickly. They are a little like flax in that way. Store sesame seeds in cool place or freeze).
Jalapeno Cilantro: Fresh steamed garbanzo beans, water, jalapeño pepper, water chestnut, sesame seeds, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, cumin guar gum. (JL Note: I often use jicama as a substitute for water chestnut. Easy to find, keeps well in the fridge even after you start cutting it, adds a nice crispness or texture, and a great source of a healthy fiber).
Roasted Red Pepper: Fresh steamed garbanzo beans, roasted red pepper, water, sesame seeds, garlic, sea salt, lemon juice, cumin, guar gum. (JL Note: roasted red pepper is available in small jars in many markets. Nice for other uses too. Try to find water-packed).
Falafel: Fresh steamed garbanzo beans, water, sesame seeds, lemon juice, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper, sea salt, parsley, guar gum.
Spicy Black Bean: (JL Note: THIS IS MY FAVE, but it's hard to find in the stores!) Black beans, fresh steamed garbanzo beans, water, roasted onion, sesame seeds, lemon juice, ancho chili pepper, lime juice, cumin, garlic, sea salt, coriander, guar gum.
If you would like to see the recipe for Engine 2 Hummus on the Engine 2 Diet website, please click here.
