Heavenly Hummus

This is the recipe everyone asks me for, although I do tend to do different versions, depending on what ingredients I have in my store cupboard.
  Hummus (also spelled hamos, hommos, hommus, homos, houmous, hummos, hummous, or humus) is a Arabic dip or spread traditionally made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. 

  It can be served as an appetizer and dip, hummus is scooped with flatbread (such as pita). It is also served as part of a meze or as an accompaniment to falafel, grilled chicken, fish or eggplant. Garnishes include choppedtomato, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, whole chickpeas, olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, paprika, sumac, ful, olives and pickles. Outside the Middle East, it is sometimes served with tortilla chips or crackers.

Ingredients

• 400g tin of cooked chickpeas, preferably organic.
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
• Juice of 1 lemon.
• A pinch of cumin powder.
• Good quality olive oil.
• salt preferably sea salt.

Optional ingredients (add one of these to add some variety to your hummus)

• 1 birdseye chilli with seeds removed and chopped
• 1/2 a burnt red pepper, roughly chopped (hold it over the hob till it blackens in a few places and becomes softer)
• 1 tablespoon tahini paste
• 2 tablespoons Sundried tomato oil.

1. Drain the chickpeas from a can into a sieve, rinse under cold water and remove any dark peas.

2. Place the chickpeas into a food processor, and pulse until all the chickpeas are smashed.

3. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon, add the garlic, cumin and a good pinch of salt (beware if using chickpeas in salted water, as you will not need anywhere as much salt.) Add any of your chosen optional ingredients now also.

4. Turn on the processor and slowly add a good few lugs of olive oil through the funnel, until the consistency is how you like it (you may have to scrape the sides a couple of times so as to mix all the ingredients). Taste and alter seasoning/lemon if required.

This hummus will keep covered in the fridge for almost a week, Its great with toasted pitta, cut into bite size triangles, with tortillas or chopped carrot sticks. I also like to add a lug of olive oil to the top of the bowl before serving, as this stops it from drying out.