Test Kitchen #24: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This week we had a special guest in the test kitchen. Just in time for my birthday, I got a surprise visit from my sister, Christine, who flew all the way from Phoenix for my big 3-2! When Matt took me out for dinner last Friday night, my parents were there waiting for us in the restaurant with my sister carefully hidden in the corner of the table.

Even though my family kept this plan secret from me for over six months, there was something inside my head that evening telling me that she might be there. Maybe it was when I received her birthday card a few days earlier with the note, "Hope to see you all soon!", that I began to wonder. Or maybe I was just hoping. Either way, it was a great surprise and when I found out that she was staying with us until the following Wednesday, I got even more excited. "Oh yeah, you can cook with us on Tuesday!"

So it was only fitting that this week's recipe be supplied by Christine. That first night, at the birthday dinner, we ordered a dish of hummus and pita to share with the table. The taste was just okay and the color seemed a little gray. Christine offered that we should try her Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe. The flavor and color would be much better and so easy to make.

Tuesday afternoon I hopped between three different grocery stores to find one of the key ingredients: sesame tahini sauce. After an exhausted search of the ethic foods aisles, I was hoping that maybe we could do without it. Dad and I were used to "winging it" and I was sure that there would be a way to make up for the missing ingredient. But Christine insisted that it was vital to the mix, so I pressed on.

The Nature's Way food store finally yielded the score. If you've never had to purchase tahini sauce before, immediately find any natural foods store and look in the peanut butter aisle. The sauce has a similar texture and consistency of peanut butter, only it's made with sesame seeds and is a little runnier. Make sure you stir it really well before adding it in with the other ingredients.

Here's a picture of the one I found so you know what you're looking for. It's also not cheap. It was $6.69 for this little can, but Christine says it lasts for a while in the fridge. No more store bought hummus for us!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• I can (16oz -19oz) of chickpeas, drained
  
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon of sesame tahini
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoona olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ tablespoon water

1. Wash and dry red bell pepper. Chop into ½ inch strips.

2. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet or shallow baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

3. Place in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

4. In a blender or food processor, blend the chickpeas. Add red bell pepper, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, water, and salt until the ingredients form a creamy, paste-like consistency. Red pepper should be ground up enough so you can see small red bits in the mixture and everything turns light orange in color.

5. Taste and add more seasoning or tahini until it's to your liking.

6. Serve immediately or best when covered and refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.

Verdict:
The best part about this recipe, aside from the taste, is how fast and easy it is to make. When you realize that the recipe minus the peppers is your basic plain hummus, the possibilities become endless with the flavors you can add. Instead of red pepper, you can use sun-dried tomatoes, spinach or even fresh basil to make a pesto flavored hummus.

For dipping purposes, I bought some Naan bread at the bakery. I sprayed it with a little butter and dusted some garlic powder over the top. While the hummus was chilling, we lightly toasted the Naan on the grill, just long enough to warm it up and get a few grill marks. After it was done, I cut it up into small strips for dipping. The hummus served as an appetizer for the steak dinner we were having for Christine's last night with us. We made a double batch so unfortunately the Naan didn't last for as much hummus as we made. The flavor was bold and the texture creamy; not too pasty like some store brands can be.

Matt and I had no problem taking home the leftovers and it came in handy the next day when Bob joined us for the USA v. Mexico soccer game. Combined with some toasted wheat crackers, the hummus was a big hit and made for a great game time snack.