easy lemony hummus

To me, hummus is one of those foods that just feels calorie-free. Conventional nutrition informs me it isn't, but its bright, earthy flavor convinces me otherwise. That half-crazy girl logic leads me to eat copious amounts of this tasty little spread.

Since I periodically crave hummus, yet rarely have all of the ingredients, I've been forced to develop this super-simple hummus recipe. There's no tahini in my hummus, because I hate one-use ingredients and my culinary horizons aren't wide enough to use tahini on a regular basis. (I can be honest with myself.)

But I do always have lemons! I'm what you'd call a lemon enthusiast--like, I get really upset when lemon bars aren't tart enough to make the back of my mouth pucker. The lemon totally makes this garlicky, earthy hummus. I even squeeze a lemon over the top of the finished hummus for good measure, but I don't expect you to be as zealous about citrus as I am.

LEMONY HUMMUS

1 can (15 oz.) of chickpeas

2 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

juice of 1 lemon

a few tbs olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Drain & rinse the chickpeas and put them in the food processor. Add the lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings. Pulse until the chickpeas have a crumbly consistency. Add in a tablespoon of olive oil at a time, pulsing until smooth and creamy. Sample and add in more salt & pepper as you desire.