Hummus

          Hummus is a great dish to make when you want to have a tasty dip for chips. Its wonderful for so many reasons; its healthy and packed with protein (take note bodybuilders), it's tasty, and a unique thing to serve to guests. Last it is super cheap and easy to make. So seriously, why buy hummus when you can make it cheaper and tastier for almost no work? Aside from a chip dip, you can also use it as a spread on crackers, bread or in sandwiches. Also, this recipe can be changed constantly to give new variations each time; chives, basil and oregano all could replace cilantro in the recipe to give it a new twist, so have fun with it and be creative, It also keeps for a long time, so you can make a large batch to use for a week.

                      Ingredients:                       Equipment Needed: 
                     -2 Cans Chickpeas                -Knife + Cutting Board
                     -2 Tb Tahini                        -Blender or Food Processor
                     -3 Tb Olive Oil                     -Mixing Bowl
                     -1 Lemon                              
                     -1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
                     -1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
                     -1 tsp each of Cumin & Coriander or (2 tsp Curry Powder)
                     -Black Pepper
                     -1/3 Red Pepper
                     -1/4 Onion
                     -Small Handful of Cilantro
                
Preparation/Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 2 Bowls of Hummus
Difficulty Rank: Easy Peasy

          The recipe is pretty straight forward and easily adapted. Tahini can usually be found in the health section of a supermarket or in the International food section under the Arabian foods; Tahini is strong, so be careful not to add to much or else the flavor will overwhelm the hummus. Also be careful salting, it is always easier to add salt over taking it out. If you want, you can use a lime instead of a lemon; also, you probably could substitute basil, chives, oregano or other fresh herbs in place of cilantro. I spice it to add some extra flavor to the hummus but if you want a lighter flavor leave them out. Last I add bell peppers for their crisp sweetness and onions for their flavor and crunch; the reason to use white onions is because they can be eaten raw, if you use another kind of onion I'd quickly pan fry them before adding them to the hummus.

In-a-nutshell Directions:
1. Put chickpeas in blender.
2. Squeeze in Lemon Juice.
3. Add in Oil and Tahini.
4. Add salt, pepper and spices.
5. Blend.
6. Chop red pepper, onion and cilantro.
7. Mix Veggies into Hummus.
8. Garnish.

Detailed Directions:

1. Put both cans of chickpeas in blender, strain out the water from one, but for the other, put the entire can including the water in the blender.

2. Squeeze a whole lemon into the blender.

3. Add in the olive oil and the tahini.

4. Add in the cayenne, black pepper, salt and other spices.

5. Blend the mixture until it is smooth and taste test it, adjust if needed.

6. Dice the red bell peppers and onions into small pieces that can be easily picked up with chips and chop cilantro. A good technique for cutting bell peppers is to cut the top off first and then dice the rest. Doing this allows for cleaner cuts and makes it easy to pull out the pepper seeds.

7. Pour the hummus into a mixing bowl and mix in the vegetables.

8. Place the hummus into a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro and any other creative things you can think of. I tossed on a few black sesame seeds.