The Queen of Dips – Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic and Chilli Hummus

ROASTED RED PEPPER, GARLIC AND CHILLI HUMMUS

I am dubbing this wonderful dip,  “The Queen of Dips” because the simple chickpea has such enormous health benefits and it is such a versatile dip to use with numerous dishes.  Not only that, there are a number of ways to reinvent it by adding a few different ingredients.  The possibilities of preparation are endless and here I will share a couple of ways to make the unassuming chickpea, (also known as the garbanzo bean),  into something quite tasty.

Firstly, for those of you who are “clean eaters” you will no doubt already be familiar with the many health  benefits of the chickpea.  But let me just list a few of the secret health benefits of this Mediterranean,  Middle Eastern gem.

Not only being an excellent source of fiber, they are also high in protein, carbohydrates and contain minerals like selenium, vitamin K, folate, phosphorous, zinc, copper, manganese and choline.   They also contain high levels of vitamin B-6, iron and magnesium.  These minerals and vitamins each having their own health benefits.   Well known  health facts are chickpeas can help diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation, digestion, weight management, cholesterol and even cancer.

So let’s get busy in the kitchen and prepare this easy dish so you can impress your family and friends.

INGREDIENTS 

1 tin chick peas (reserve the liquid when you strain them), 1 roasted red pepper, 3 garlic cloves chopped, juice of 1 lemon & 1 lime, 1 chopped red chilli, 3 tbsp tahini paste (recipe follows below to make your own),   1/4 cup  olive oil, sea salt & ground black pepper.

METHOD

Cut the red pepper in half and place face down on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 15/20 mins at 180 degrees or until skin turns dark.  Remove from oven and place in a plastic bag for a few minutes.  This makes it easy to peel outer skin off.  You can also roast your garlic at the same time if you would  like to.  If you do, place garlic cloves in tin foil with skins on and drizzle with olive oil.  You can of course just use fresh chopped garlic.  Once you have peeled your red pepper set aside for a moment.

Add the chickpeas to your food processor, the roasted pepper, chopped chilli, chopped or roasted garlic, tahini paste, lemon & lime juice, olive oil, s&p.

Blend well as you want a creamy texture so if you feel it is a little dry, slowly add the chickpea reserve liquid or a bit of water and continue to blend until you get the creamy consistency we are looking for.  Place into a bowl, sprinkle with a little paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.  You could also top with some roasted pine nuts, walnuts or pecans if you wish (optional).

TAHINI PASTE

This is an expensive commodity to buy in health food stores, so why not make your own.  It couldn’t be simpler.

You can make this raw if you have a really powerful blender (raw meaning sesame seeds only)  but I tend to mix in a little olive oil and use my nutribullet to blend.  You can roast the sesame seeds before hand by dry roasting them in a frying pan or even add a little olive oil.

SIMPLE METHOD

1 cup sesame seeds, 3 to 4 tbsps olive oil (as need to get good consistency)

Place into a blender and mix until it turns into a paste.  It’s that simple and you have saved yourself a fortune.

TIPSTERS -There are various methods you can jazz up your Hummus.

1. 1. Roast a whole bulb of garlic with some olive oil in tin foil for 15/20 mins and add entire bulb leaving out roasted red pepper.
2. 2. Caramelise some onions slowly and add them to decorate the top of the Hummus.
3. 3.  Roast some Pine Nuts, Walnuts or Pecans and decorate the top.
4. 4.  Tahini dressing – 1 tbsp of tahini paste, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp water – mix well.  Use to dress vegetables, chicken, sweet potatoes.
5. Basically use your imagination and the world is your oyster.  Enjoy!

If you are enjoying my blogs and following me on my Facebook Page – Mary’s Kitchen , please subscribe after reading this blog by entering your email address in the subscription area at the end or side of this blog.    You will then receive notification when I have posted again.   You can also follow my instructional videos on You Tube – Mary PremierCru  (again, please subscribe if you enjoy them).

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder