Garlic & Chilli Flake Hummus

My boyfriend and I eat Hummus like its going out of style. We put it on everything! Chicken, eggs, vegetables, etc...You name it, we've probably tried it (within reason, of course). Anyways - being into fitness, health & cooking (and saving money to buy a house) ...it just didn't feel right spending $8.00+ every time I walked into the grocery store, just for our other true love, Hummus. I had to find someway to supply our addiction, keep costs down, and keep my body a mainly no-preservative/additive temple. Next time you walk into the grocery store, instead of buying that pre-packaged, stay fresh forever, small-yet-expensive tub of Hummus, buy a can of salt-free chickpeas. Better yet - buy some chickpeas in bulk and make your own.

Ingredients:

• 1 can no-salt added chickpeas, rinsed and drained (save a few chickpeas for garnish on top)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend.
2. Garnish with a little bit of olive oil, the leftover chickpeas, some red chilli flakes & freshly ground black pepper.

Depending on how thick you like your hummus, you may want to play with the water ratio. That also goes for the lemon, garlic, and salt. By substituting chickpeas with black beans, you can make a delicious & fancy looking black bean hummus. OH - and did I mention that this costs under $2.50 to make. If you buy the raw chickpeas and cook them yourself, it costs about $0.75! Sure, its not as quick & easy as taking the tub out of the fridge, but its pretty close! Besides - now I know exactly what I'm putting in my body.