Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Making hummus at home is super easy.  And, most recipes make enough hummus that you have a bunch, so you can bring to work for lunch, serve as a dip, and still have leftovers  to spread on sandwiches.  Here's a simple recipe for roasted red pepper hummus that makes enough to share with friends.

Ingredients
1 red pepper, cut in half with membranes and seeds removed
1/4 cup of tahini
juice from a whole lemon
1 clove of garlic
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper/Korean chili pepper
1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Preparation
1.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place red peppers, skin side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Roast red peppers for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until slightly charred. 

2.  Remove peppers from the oven and place in a plastic bag to steam.

3.  After cooled, remove the peppers from the bag (the steaming makes the skins easier to peel off).  Peel off skins.

4.  Combine tahini and lemon juice in a food processor.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.  Add garlic, oil and cayenne pepper to the processor, mix again until blended.

5.  Drain and rinse the can of garbanzo beans in a colander.  Add half the beans to the food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes.

6.  Add the rest of the beans and the sliced roasted red peppers to the food processor. 

7.  Blend until well mixed, about 5 minutes.  Halfway through the time, stop the mixer to scrape down the slides to make sure all of the ingredients are blended. 

8.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.  Or chill until ready to serve.