Hummus Wraps (gluten-free, vegan, no chickpeas)

Last night my family celebrated my big sister's birthday in the only way we seem to know how -- with lots of hummus, tahina, falafel, lentil soup and other mezes, and lemon meringue pie for dessert. No one is exactly sure when this tradition started, but its solid as a rock. We've been ordering in for Anna's birthday for as long as I can remember from the same restaurant. No one's sure if the food is outstanding or just nostalgic at this point. Either way, its always great.

I had birthday traditions as well -- for years I would order in chow mein from our favourite Chinese restaurant. Once I realized I was allergic to soy and gluten intolerant that tradition halted.

I absolutely love hummus and I've been lucky enough to travel abroad and enjoy some of the best out there. I make no claims that my recipe today is either authentic or the best of the best, but its pretty delicious, pretty healthy and dead simple to make.

This is not a traditional recipe mainly because I don't use chickpeas to make it. Don't get me wrong, I love chickpeas, but they often really upset my stomach. I find white beans much easier to digest so I opted for those instead. The result is still very good so give it a try if you have a can kicking around. I also chose to use raw sesame tahini instead of roasted tahini in this recipe. I think I prefer the flavour of it and the raw version is a healthier choice. Feel free to use either.

Since hummus makes such lovely sandwiches (and since I no longer eat bread) I decided to wrap some of it up in some raw savoy cabbage leaves with some cucumber, tomato and hot sauce.

These wraps are healthy, vegan, gluten-free and nut-free. They make a delicious light lunch or snack. If you don't like cabbage but still want to enjoy this hummus in a gluten-free context, I also love adding hummus to saffron rice or with raw or roasted vegetables! Its such a versatile dish, it can be enjoyed in countless ways.

White Bean Hummus

2 cans great northern beans, 1/4 cup brine reserved (I used Eden Organic which packs beans with kombu seaweed instead of salt, making the beans easier to digest)
pink salt to taste (more than you'd expect is required if you use unsalted canned beans)
lemon juice (I used about 3/4 of a lemon but start with 1/2 a lemon and add more or less to your taste)
1 clove garlic, pressed
1-2 tsp cumin (to taste)
garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp evoo (optional)
1/2-2/3 cup raw sesame tahini (add to your taste)

Reserve 1/4 cup of the bean brine. Rinse your beans until they aren't super foamy. Add to a food processor along with garlic, lemon, tahini, brine, cumin. Blend until smooth and thick. Keep processor on blend while you drizzle in the evoo through the spout, then the water. Taste. Add more lemon and blend if its not tangy enough. Add garlic powder (as much as you want) and blend well. Transfer to an airtoght container and store in the fridge. Makes a large amount of hummus.

Hummus Wraps

Savoy cabbage leaves, washed and dried
White bean hummus (as much as you want)
tomatoes, chopped small
cucumber, diced small
Frank's red hot or sriracha

Arrange cabbage leaves on a plate. Add hummus to the center of each. Top with tomatoes, cucumber and a few dashes of hot sauce. Eat like tacos.

Duze

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