Hummus - Monica

Hi guys! So... I'm trying to think of recipes that would be easy and convenient for college students to make and thought of this...
One of my favorite foods that pretty much goes with anything is hummus. It can be eaten in sandwiches, as a dip for chips, and in falafel sandwiches and is usually found in Mediterranean, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisine. I would really encourage and recommend everyone to try to make their own hummus because it is tastier, healthier, and more cost-efficient than generic store brands. It is also VERY CUSTOMIZABLE because you can tweak the amount of each ingredient according to your taste. For example, some people like lemony hummus while some like the nuttier taste of the tahini. The amounts shown below are estimates because I don't usually measure my ingredients when I make it, but instead, I taste the hummus along the way and add anything I feel is missing. Enjoy! Hope you fall in love with hummus after this like I did :)

Hummus
Difficulty: Easy
Number of servings: ~one pint
Cost: ~$2
Time spent: 20 min.

Ingredients: 

• 1 15.5oz can of garbanzo beans
• You can also boil beans fresh by soaking them and simmering for about 45 min.
• Try other kinds of beans too. I've tried white bean, edamame, and a mixture of several beans.
• Juice of 1 lemon (or about 3 tbl. lemon juice)
• 2 tbl. sesame tahini
• This is a ground up paste made from sesame seeds. Berkeley Bowl sells it home-ground!
• 2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves (or roasted garlic)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp parsley (optional)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Additional water if hummus is too thick
• Additional optional ingredients which you can add for different flavored hummus:
• Roasted red peppers
• Chives
• Sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:

• Put all ingredients in a food processor (you can use a blender too, but it will be more difficult to mix) and blend until smooth.
• Add water if the hummus is too thick.
• Serve with pita chips, pretzels, or bread for a great appetizer/snack.