Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Hummus

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans

1 large red pepper, sliced in half and seeded (if desired, leave 1 inch piece of red pepper and dice to garnish hummus)

1 head of garlic (if desired, leave small amount of roasted garlic to garnish hummus)

1 Tablespoon Tahini paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (1/2 teaspoon reserved for roasting garlic)

3 lemons

Preheat broiler

Place pepper halves on foil lined cookie sheet and roast in oven until skin is blackened.  Place pepper halves in a small glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  The peppers will continue to steam in covered bowl.  Do not remove and allow to cool in covered bowl.  Reduce temperature in oven to  bake at 400 degrees.  Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb.  Make sure you leave the skin of the individual cloves intact.  Cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top of the cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.  Drizzle 1/2 tsp of olive oil  onto garlic.  Bake on foiled cookie sheet for 30-35 minutes.  Allow garlic to cool.  Use a small knife and cut the skin slightly around clove, squeeze out the garlic into a food processor.  Place garbanzo beans,  roasted peppers, tahini, juice of 2 lemons, salt and olive oil into food processor and pulse until a thick paste is formed.  Lemon juice (from additional lemon) can be added until desired consistency is achieved.  Refrigerate overnight in a airtight container.

Serve in a small bowl and can garnish, if desired,  with diced red peppers and/or roasted garlic.  Serve with pita chips or Falafel Chips (spicy or original)