Homemade Hummus

My husband's so funny!  He's been on this Middle Eastern food kick ever since he got back from a trip to Israel in September.  It took him years to even try hummus, then he liked it so much our fridge is never without it.  Our kids absolutely love it too, which is great because it's so healthy!  From what he said, people in Israel argue about different ways of making hummus like we here in the U.S. argue about our iced tea!  The way I see it........any hummus recipe, just like iced tea, starts out with the same basic ingredients, then you can add whatever you like.  We like ours on the mild side, just a touch of garlic and a little cumin is perfect.  I had canned chickpeas in my pantry so I used those, but with how much my family loves it, I'll probably start using the dried.  It's much cheaper.  We had an incredible lunch with an Iraqi friend recently at a Chaldean restaurant in the Detroit area.  I have to say this tasted just like theirs!  I really can't believe I've been buying this stuff for so long and have finally gotten around to making it.  It's so good and so easy to make!  I think the tahini can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a while, but the hummus should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within 5 days.  One batch of this will last about 5 minutes in my house!  Most  grocery stores will have jarred tahini (sesame seed paste) in their ethnic aisle.

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or from
bottled concentrate
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 to 2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine the lemon juice and water in a small bowl and set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the tahini and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Place chickpeas, garlic, salt, and cumin in food processor or blender; process until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds.  With a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of bowl.  With machine running, add lemon juice and water through feed tube.  Scrape down bowl and continue to process for a minute.  With machine running, add tahini mixture through feed tube, processing until smooth and creamy, 20 to 30 seconds.  Scrape down bowl as needed.  Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh parsley or cilantro.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand to allow flavors to meld, about 30 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil before serving.  Makes about 2 cups.