Spicy Black Bean Hummus

I love black beans and I love hummus as well. This dip from Cooking Light finds itself somewhere in between - not quite your typical black bean dip and not quite a hummus either. This quick and delicious dip is great as a snack or a healthy appetizer to serve up to guests at your next football viewing party!

This recipe is beyond easy to make. I've made it twice within the past week and with a on the move baby at home, I can tell you that whipping up a homemade "snack" requires ease and simplicity.

This dip is spicy, but like with most recipes you can alter the heat level to your own preferences. The Husband and I love heat so as always, I increased the amount of jalapeno and red pepper (as noted below). The cumin gives it that nice smoky/earthiness and the lemon imparts just the right amount of brightness.

Bell peppers, carrots, pita chips and tortilla chips are all great dippers for this.

A few notes:
- If you like spicy, follow my lead and use a whole jalapeno (seeds intact) and about 1/2 tsp of the crushed red pepper flakes.
- After tasting the dip, I felt it needed a little something sweet to balance it out, so I added a pinch of sugar. I think this made a ton of difference and would definitely suggest doing so as well.
- After processing all ingredients together, check the consistency. I found mine to be a little thick and added a tad more olive oil, which did the trick.
- I didn't find it necessary to drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with additional red pepper, but it would look pretty :) Instead, I added the 2 teaspoons of olive oil directly into the hummus.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Dash of crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (extra if necessary)
Dash of ground red pepper
Pinch of sugar (or Truvia, Splenda, etc)

Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper.