Hummus

Had a craving for hummus yesterday. We had some naan bread (not exactly a traditional accompaniment - pita would have been more authentic, but I'd eat hummus off any kind of bread...) sitting around, and some dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in the cupboard. So I soaked the chickpeas (about 5 oz) in cold water overnight in the fridge (cover with twice their volume of water). This morning I drained them, then simmered them in salted water until tender (I didn't time them, but it took at least 45 minutes). I then cooled them in cold water, and drained them again.

The cooked chickpeas went into the food processor with the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 small garlic clove, crushed, and 1.5 tbsp tahini (like a sesame seed version of peanut butter). Add a little salt and pepper, and a splash of water. Run the motor until the ingredients begin to form a smooth paste. Add a tiny bit more water if needed, but it should be thick and not entirely smooth at this point. Remove from the mixer bowl and, by hand, stir in about 1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin). Mix until it reaches a spreadable consistency, adding more oil if desired. Then taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper (and lemon juice, if you wish). The hummus is now ready to spread on toasted flatbread. Enjoy!

Note 1 - Do not be tempted to use the food processor to mix in the olive oil as it tends to make it taste bitter. This is why it is preferable to stir it in at the end.

Note 2- Canned chickpeas can be substituted for cooked - treat them just the same. You can use one 14 oz can, drained.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 5 oz = 140g; 1/4 cup = 60ml; 14 oz = 400g.