Spicy Black Bean Hummus with a Twist

I LOVE hummus!  I eat it almost everyday and when I'm not feeling lazy I love to make hummus.  It's really a simple thing to make if you have one piece of essential kitchen equipment...a food processor.  Add some beans (black, garbanzo, white, etc), an oil, an acid (lime or lemon juice), some spices (cumin, salt, pepper), whirl it up in the processor and voila!

One of my favorite recipes is one for spicy black bean hummus that I found in Cooking Light years ago.  For a dinner party I went to last night I decided to change it up a bit and add some creaminess with an avocado and  I must admit it turned out pretty well.  Even an avid guacamole hater enjoyed the dip!

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the finished, plated hummus, since it was devoured in record time...next time I'll be making a double batch.

Spicy Black Bean Avocado Hummus

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves
1/2 jalepeno seeded
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
Dash of crushed red pepper
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Process garlic and jalapeno in food processor until finely chopped
2. Add black beans, olive oil, cumin, red pepper, and lime and process until almost smooth
3. Add avocado to processor and process until completely smooth
4. Add salt to taste
5. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or veggies

Garlic and jalapeno processed

Finished product!  Color isn't the most appealing but the taste is delicious!

 QUESTION: Do you have a favorite dip you always bring to parties?