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
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.
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