Hummus

Hummus, or houmous, is an Eastern Mediterranean dip, very common in Lebanon, Egypt, and a number of other countries.* A heavenly blend of chick peas, garlic…
Yield	about 2 cups
Time	10 minutes (+ chickpea soaking and cooking)
Tools	food processor or potato masher and bowl rubber spatula shallow bowl
Ingredients	2 c chickpeas, soaked and cooked, or canned, drained, and rinsed 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 T lemon juice ¼ c water 3 T tahini ½ to 1 t cumin ½ t paprika Optional garnish: chickpeas, olive oil, parsley, lemon slices
Directions	Place everything but garnish in the food processor and process for about a minute, until smooth. If too thick, add more water. Taste and add more lemon juice/tahini/cumin/paprika as appropriate. Spread the hummus into the bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish. Serve chilled or at room temperature, with warm pita bread and/or fresh vegetables.
Notes	* Hummus is eaten in many different countries (although contrary to popular belief, Greece is not one of them). There are a lot of variations, especially in spices, so experiment to find what you like best. This basic hummus recipe can be jazzed up with just about anything – spinach, olives, peppers… – see my page of hummus variations for ideas.
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