Hummus

I've been on a long search for the perfect hummus.  I've tried several different recipes, but they always turn out mealy or tasting too much like olive oil or tahini.  I've even made a few that turned out almost waxy.  So I always end up eating a couple of bites of my homemade hummus, then going back to store bought.

If you've never had it before, hummus is a delicious middle eastern dip made from chick peas (garbanzo beans), olive oil, and tahini (sesame seed paste).  The tahini  you buy at the grocery store will separate into layers of paste and oil, similar to natural peanut butter.  Just stir it up before you use it.

I especially love roasted red pepper hummus.  Its like a delicious cross of hummus and salsa!  So when I stumbled across this recipe, and had all the ingredients in my pantry, I had to try it out.  It even features sriracha, one of my absolute favorite ingredients!  If you don't like sriracha or don't want your hummus spicy, you can use another hot sauce or leave it out altogether.  With the little amount that gets added here, its not hot as much as just a warm flavor.

I like hummus because it is healthy, delicious, and versatile. I usually eat it as a dip with veggies, pita, or blue corn chips, or as a condiment or sandwiches or wraps.  But every once in a while I give in and eat a flour tortilla topped with red pepper hummus and cheddar cheese.  Yum!

This isn't a traditional hummus recipe, or even a traditional roasted red pepper hummus.  Mostly because I didn't have as much red pepper as I thought I had, but also because I thought the sun dried tomatoes would add a nice touch of sweetness to the flavor.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1 16-oz can chickpeas
1 roasted red pepper (or 1/2 red pepper, plus 2 sun dried tomatoes)*
1 T onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T tahini
1 lemon, juiced
3 T olive oil
1 t honey
1 t sriracha
1/2 t cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.  Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender.  Blend until all ingredients are combined and you have a smooth dip.  I made this with a stick blender, which worked pretty well, but a high powered blender or food processor works better.

* You can buy jarred roasted red peppers at the grocery store.  If you want to roast your own, place the red pepper on a sheet tray in a 450-degree oven.  Turn occasionally until the pepper skin is blistered on all sides, then take it out of the oven.  Place the pepper in a bowl then cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a towel to let it steam for 5-10 minutes.  Scrape the skin off the pepper, and take out the stem and seeds.  Voila!  Roasted red pepper!