Red Pepper Hummus from PW Pizza

My penchant for roasted red peppers is well known. I always have an open jar in the fridge (as you saw here) and an extra jar (or two) in the pantry. As I type this I have thin slices of seared strip steak in the crockpot along with sliced onions, tomatoes, and roasted red peppers yielding, I hope, a delicious dinner of pepper steak this evening, and a tasty filling for soft tacos tomorrow night. But I don't want to get ahead of myself.

I'm a fan of hummus, but not the plain garlic-tahini-and-chickpea variety. No, I like hummus with a sense of style. My two favorites are fresh basil hummus and roasted red pepper hummus (a lovely duo on the holiday sideboard, by the way). As a rule, hummus is very easy to make. Keeping some simple ingredients on hand will never leave you wanting when guests drop by, or you're invited on the spur of the moment and don't want to arrive empty handed.

This recipe is from PW Pizza in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of St. Louis, and was published recently in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It is easy to prepare and oh, so delicious. It's a great dip, but also makes an excellent sandwich spread, adds great taste to deviled eggs, and brightens up even the simplest of salads when stirred into Ranch dressing. I like mine extra smoky and with a lot of zing so doubled up on both cumin and lemon zest. Yummy!

Red Pepper Hummus from PW Pizza

Yield: 2 1/4 cups

8 ounces Melissa’s fire roasted red peppers, drained

2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (colored portion of peel)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Ground red (cayenne) pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Warm pita wedges or fresh vegetables, for serving

1. Cut a few strips of roasted red pepper to use for a garnish; set aside.

2. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the remaining roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, cumin and a dash or two of cayenne. Pulse to chop and combine ingredients. With the motor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube, processing just until combined. Stop the processor to scrape the sides as necessary.

3. To serve, mound hummus on a platter. Top with feta cheese and reserved red pepper strips, then surround with warm pita wedges or fresh vegetables.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 175 calories; 5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 2mg cholesterol; 6g protein; 26g carbohydrate; noa sugar; 4g fiber; 465mg sodium; 50mg calcium.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday