Chicken with Hummus Sauce

Tonight Jim didn't know what to make for dinner, so he was procrastinating on making it.  I was hungry, so I decided to make some quick hummus for a snack.  For some reason, I didn't drain the chickpeas, and the hummus came out runny.  It looked like a sauce, so I suggested to Jim that we have Chicken with Hummus Sauce for dinner.  Here's how we did it:



Hummus Sauce
1 can chickpeas, with liquid
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 T tahini
approx. 1/4 c good extra virgin olive oil (you can substitute sesame oil (NOT toasted) for some or all of the olive oil)
salt to taste
Chuck everything into a blender and blend until mixed.  Set aside. Will yield 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce.

Chicken
1 lb of chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 onion, cut into strings
1/4 c white wine
olive oil
1 1/2 cup Hummus Sauce
White or brown basmati rice
Water or chicken broth

In a saucepan poach chicken pieces just until done in just enough chicken broth or water to cover them, about 5 minutes at a vigorous boil.   Remove from heat, cover pot, and allow them to sit.  Cook 2 cups basmati rice in water or chicken broth according to package directions.  Meanwhile, saute the vegetables in a tablespoon or so of olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add white wine, broth, Hummus Sauce, and chicken, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until warmed through. Fluff rice.  Serves at least 4.

Variations:

• add 1 cup chopped green or other olives in last 5 minutes of cooking.
• add chopped sun-dried tomatoes in last 5 minutes of cooking, or 1 cup diced tomatoes with all liquids, and increase cooking time to 25 minutes.
• add any combination of following herbs to the meat mixture in the last 5 minutes: fresh herbs: (1 tablespoon each) basil, oregano, rosemary, or cilantro, or 1 teaspoon each of any combination of dried herbs: cumin, coriander, oregano, rosemary.
• add some of the following fresh ingredients into the cooked rice just before serving: a mixture of  fresh herbs such as oregano and cilantro, or dill alone, or parsley and mint, at least 2 tablespoons of each.  You can also add chopped almonds, or pistachios, or sesame seeds.
• use  millet or barley instead of rice
• instead of chicken, use boneless cooked lamb, or cook some falafel (haven't tried it yet, so for now I'll recommend using the mixes that aren't bad), and serve with sauce on the side.