Hummus

I don't think I need to point out how important hummus is to vegans. It's our cheese, our butter, our vegetable dip, our sandwich filling...I think some vegans bathe in it. There are some pretty good brands of hummus out there and there are a lot of them that don't even have a lot of gross preservatives in them. But there are several reasons to make your own: 1) Hummus can be pretty expensive and not only is it cheaper to make your own (especially if you cook your own chickpeas), but you get a huge amount of hummus from one batch. 2) You can put in any flavorings you want when you make your own hummus. 3) It's really satisfying to make hummus from scratch.

2 15 oz. cans or 3 cups cooked chick peas (Keep in mind Eden brand canned beans do not use BPA's in the linings of their cans)
Juice of 1-2 lemons (use more if you like it lemony, less if you don't)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. tahini
2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. corriander
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Water to thin
Other optional ingredients that work well are:
-sun dried tomatoes
-kalamata olives
-roasted garlic
-fresh herbs
-sumac

1) Place all of the ingredients except for the water into a food processor (this is too thick for a blender) and process until it begins to smooth out.

2) With the motor running add water 1/4 c. at a time (at first) until the hummus reaches a consistency that you like. I usually end up using about 1/2 c.  Then add any optional ingredients and pulse to incorporate.

3) Transfer to a storage container or serving dish. This can be stored in the fridge for about 5 days.

This makes about 3 1/4 c. hummus.