Snacketizer Part Three: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Part three of four! Hummus is right up there alongside guacamole and salsa as a quintessential dip. It's also incredibly simple, and you only need a few, key ingredients (that most people already have in their kitchens) to make it.
Start by draining and rinsing two 15oz. cans of chick peas. This gets rid of the salty water that they're packed in. Toss them into a food processor with 2T of sesame oil and the juice of 4 small limes, which is about 1/2 cup. (TayTip: since limes don't have seeds, use the top of the blade in your food processor as a citrus reamer to get the most juice out!) Hummus is traditionally made with tahini paste, which is just ground sesame seeds, but I find that the sesame flavor isn't as prevalent when using tahini. Thus, the reasoning for the oil instead. Pulse until the chick peas are broken down.
Next add two whole roasted red peppers. These are red bell peppers (not hot) that have been roasted over a flame or under a broiler. The best way to make your own is if you've got a gas stove with an open flame, but since mine's electric, I buy them in the jar. They're packed in a vinegar and water mixture, so drain them and toss them into the processor with 2tsp of salt and 2tsp of black pepper. Then add two garlic cloves and puree until the chick peas are broken down further. Depending on whether you like smooth or thick, you can add more olive oil, but no more sesame oil because the flavor would be too overpowering. I just love the color that the peppers add. If you look in the picture below, you can see the difference in where the peppers are incorporated/not incorporated into the hummus yet.
Perfectly smooth with a mildly sweet, charred flavor from the peppers. It tastes like you threw in the good kind of flavor that a grill imparts. The sesame oil adds an unexpected toasty aroma, and the lime juice gives a nice pucker. Chick peas are virtually flavorless, so it's important to build a complex profile with these different ingredients. Serve with chips or crudité.
Questions, comments, and recipe requests below! Buon appetito!
Categories:
appetizer,
chick peas,
garlic,
lime,
roasted red pepper,
sesame oil,
snack,
vegetables
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