Put some spring in your hummus with

Hummus generally contains five basic ingredients; chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and olive oil. Once you have these ingredients combined, it is easy to add other herbs, spices and even roasted carrots — like I do here — to flavor and season basic hummus.

I love to roast fresh carrots until they are deeply caramelized and puree them to add to the base of chickpeas and tahini. To deepen the golden color, I add a touch of turmeric.

The combined result is a deep golden yellow hummus that is the perfect color for daffodil season.

Served with flatbread for breakfast in some Mediterranean countries, the proteinrich and fiber-filled chickpeas make hummus a good way to start the day.

The secret to creating the creamiest and freshest hummus is making sure that the skins of the chickpeas are removed and discarded. Many brands of water-packed cooked and canned chickpeas come mostly skinless, so this is not as labor-intensive as it may sound.

I like to make my own pita chips baked with a light brush of olive oil and seasoned with a sprinkling of coarse salt and za’atar. Once they are seasoned, cut them into triangles and bake them in a 350 F. oven until they are crisp. and the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add a couple of tablespoons of the chickpea liquid and more olive oil as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree. The amount will vary every time you make it based on how much liquid is in the chickpeas.

Taste and adjust the seasoning (I often add more lemon juice).

Serve immediately or chilled with pita chips and raw vegetables, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of paprika and some parsley. Will keep up to five days in refrigerator.

129 calories; 81 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 220 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 3 g protein.