Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

My favorite hummus. Pairs well with all sorts of stuff and is great on sandwiches.
Tahini paste can be pricey, but if you buy a big jar it keeps forever and you only use a small amount at a time. Also, I usually buy roasted red peppers in a jar. They're cheaper than doing it yourself and all the hard work is done. It also helps the dip come together in a snap. A 16 ounce jar usually has 2 whole peppers in it.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
1 16 ounce can chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
The juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 roasted red pepper

Heat olive oil and garlic in a saucepan until fragrant.
Add garlic and oil to a food processor with remaining ingredients.
Add reserved liquid from chickpeas until desired consistency is reached. I usually use 2-3 tablespoons.
Chill and serve.

For some yummy homemade bagel chips, slice a bagel into disks and toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toast at 425 for 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle hot bagel chips with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese for an extra yummy touch.