Roasted Garlic Hummus

(about 1 1/4 cups)

Hummus is one of those dishes I really ought to make more often. It's relatively inexpensive, nutritious and comes together quickly if you happen to have a food processor.

I came across a recipe recently where the author suggested the secret to a smooth and creamy hummus was the order in which you added your ingredients to the food processor. She began with the tahini and lemon juice and ended with the chickpeas and water. I decided to give this a try and I have to agree, my hummus was indeed smoother than usual.

2 heads garlic

1/4 cup tahini

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2-3 tbsp water

olive oil for serving

a few pinches of cumin, paprika or sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Roast the garlic following these instructions. Set aside to cool.

Place the tahini and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor. Let the motor run for a minute or two until the mixture is light and creamy.

Scrape down the sides and add the olive oil, cumin and salt. Process for about 30 seconds.

Add half of the chickpeas and process for another minute.

Scrape down the sides and add the remaining chickpeas. Squeeze out all of the roasted garlic from both heads and add to the bowl of the food processor. Run the motor for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

The hummus will probably be quite thick (mine was). Slowly add the water a tablespoon at a time and process in between until you have the desired consistency.

Place the hummus on a plate. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the surface.  Sprinkle with cumin, paprika or sesame seeds if desired.