Andy's Hummus

Andy adapted a few recipes to come up with this tasty, dippable, spreadable hummus.

What's in it:

2 cups canned chickpeas (liquid set aside)

2/3 cup tahini paste*

5 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

salt n pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

How to make it:

1. In a food processor, purée the chickpeas, tahini, 3 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic until smooth, adding a little reserved liquid if it seems to

o thick; it will be slightly grainy.

2. Season with salt & pepper, and transfer to a shallow bowl.

3. Combine paprika with 2 tbsp. olive oil, and drizzle over the top. Garnish with parsley.

*Make your own tahini if you don't want to buy it. In a food processor or blender grind 4 tbsp. sesame seeds and 1 tsp. olive or sesame oil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup of water if needed.

Makes about 3 cups.

Serve with scrumptious snacks like pita bread triangles and chopped carrots & cucumber, or put on your favorite veggie sandwich.

Here's our spread from dinner last night:

Avocado Hummus

While visiting our friend Sky in Santa Barbara last year, we went out for tapas. One of the dishes we ordered featured an "avocado hummus." Brilliant! And utterly delicious.

So the next night we tried it ourselves, figuring out that a mixture of 1/2 hummus and 1/2 avocado is a nice balance of flavor. Use 2-3 whole avocados and mix in your hummus for a yummy twist on this dip for guests.