For me, hummus is comfort food -- it's creamy, salty and garlicky. And you get to pig out on it and not feel too guilty because it's made up of healthy ingredients. A big bowl of this with a plate of assorted vegetables, pita bread and pita chips, and I'll be quiet for the evening. Some recipes call for too much tahini. Others try too hard and call for red bell peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. I prefer to keep it simple: chickpeas and tahini, with lots of garlic and lemon juice. Oh, and a dash of olive oil to keep it creamy. Use it as a sandwich spread or dipping sauce.

Yield: 2 cups Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients 1 16-ounce can chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) 1/3 cup chickpea liquid 1 tablespoon tahini 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for garnish) 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon) 3-4 cloves of garlic 1/4 rounded teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste Sweet paprika (for garnish)

1. Strain the chickpeas but reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid.

2. In a food processor or blender, blend the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, tahini, olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 cloves of garlic, and salt until smooth. Add additional lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste. Garnish with a dash of olive oil and paprika. Serve with pita bread, chopped vegetables, pita chips or tortilla chips!