Roasted Garlic Hummus

I love hummus and it is just too easy to make at home, as long as you have a food processor.  I like to season it to my liking and to cut out all the preservatives and additives of store bought.  I like to buy dried chickpeas and cook them at home either on the stove or in the crockpot.  They do take quite a while to cook but I usually make a double batch.  Homemade hummus will stay good in the fridge for quite a while, if you can keep from eating it all in a week!!  You could also buy organic canned chickpeas for ease but they will cost more than buying them dried.  You can use regular canned chickpeas if you like but they will be high in sodium and other stuff.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 tbsp tahini paste- I buy organic from Whole foods.  One jar will last quite a while in the fridge.
• 1 head of roasted garlic.  I roast garlic in the oven for 45 minutes but you could also use minced garlic from a jar or granulated garlic.  Roasted garlic will lose some of the strong garlic flavor, so I use quite a bit.
• salt, pepper, olive oil and paprika to taste

Blend the chickpeas, tahini paste, roasted garlic and some water in the food processor until smooth.  I start with 1/4 cup water and just keep adding in small increments until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, oil and paprika to your liking.  You could also use roasted red pepper instead of garlic.