Spicy Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Homemade Tahini

My family loves hummus.  I usually buy a big tub at Costco because I find buying Tahini (a key ingredient) to make homemade hummus expensive.    Well, I found out making my own Tahini is a snap and that was an amazing discovery.   No more buying hummus for this family.  My hummus came together quickly and we enjoyed it fresh and homemade.  

To make my hummus you will need:
1 15oz can of chickpeas (or about 2 cups)
1 roasted red pepper (you can use jar or roast one yourself)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 cloves of garlic (grated)
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
1/2 tsp of red chili powder/cayenne  powder (or to taste)
salt to taste
Tahini (made from the whole sesame seed and olive oil)

To make your own Tahini :Toast some white sesame seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant.  Careful not to burn.  I made enough for my recipe and it was a little less than half a cup of sesame seeds and about the same in extra virgin oil oil.  Put in a blender and blend until it forms a smooth but thick "dressing"  I wanted the Tahini pourable so I could get it out of the blender easily.    Voila... you've got tahini.

Now mix all your ingredients above with the Tahini in a food processor until it forms a smooth hummus consistency.  If you like, you can add more olive oil.

Garnish with some more olive oil on top and some parsley.  Enjoy with toasted pita or pita chips.

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