Hummus with sun dried tomatoes and shallots ( for my niece Lee from Edmonton, Alberta)

Recipe Title:  Hummus with sun dried tomatoes and shallots ( for my niece Lee from Edmonton, Alberta)

Hummus is easy to make in a food processor and there are hundreds of options to change the normal tasting hummus into something aromatic with a little attitude. You will find that sometimes I list an ingredient as optional. This means that your hummus will not be compromised by leaving it out....but usually it is such a nice addition.

Recipe By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

540 ml chick peas – drained & well rinsed with cold water & drained again

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup olive oil

Cracked pepper & salt - to taste approximately ½ teaspoon each

1 lemon (juice of)

3 tbsp. Tahini (sesame paste)

¼  cup fresh spinach leaves (optional but adds to the flavor and the color)

½ shallot (or 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes (I used the sun dried tomatoes in oil from a jar)

½ bunch cilantro (1 cup)

½  to 1 cup vegetable stock or water depending on how thick you wish your hummus to be

Method:

1. Drain chick peas well. Rinse under cold water in a sieve and drain well.
2. Puree chickpeas in a processor first.
3. Add all remaining ingredients to the processor except vegetable stock.
4. Processes until large pieces are gone. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl down.
5. Continue to process while adding water or vegetable stock until the hummus is at the desired thickness.  This stage is up to you and your personal taste.
6. Store in the fridge until service time.