Roasted Pepper Hummus

Hummus is so beautifully simple and is such a staple at our house.  I remember the first time I tasted hummus was at the Jerusalem Cafe in Westport in Kansas City.  I was probably 9 years old and mostly excited about the flat bread that accompanied the hummus.  Little did I realize that just a few years later this would be a mainstay of my diet for several weeks while on a trip to Turkey with my dad.  Since neither of us speak Turkish, it was always an adventure ordering off a menu but we could always count on hummus!

Hummus isn’t really exotic at all.  We’re talking about garbanzo beans (chickpeas), sesame, garlic and lemon juice.  That’s it!  Hummus is a great source of protein and wants to be friends with all kinds of goodies in your kitchen…..like veggies, flat bread (pita), crackers and try introducing it to your favorite sandwich.  Here are two spruced up hummus recipes using roasted peppers.  The first one is not traditional BUT is baby proof, I served this to my little girl and she couldn’t get enough of it.

Roasted Pepper Hummus for the Little Ones

• 2 cups Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Roasted Bell Pepper
• 1/3 cup Plain Yogurt
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• Dash of Cumin

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

My daughter loves this by the spoonful!  I also served the hummus with steamed cauliflower and toast to make a messy, yummy finger food!

I also made several of these adorable little hummus sandwiches with mini whole wheat bread (yes, I’ll post a recipe soon).  Cut them into little pieces and she gobbled them right up!

Roasted Pepper Hummus for the Big Kids

• 1 1/2 cups Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Roasted Bell Pepper
• 1/3 cup Tahini (don’t be scared this is just ground sesame seeds)
• Juice of 2 Lemons (approximately 1/3 cup)
• 2 Cloves Garlic

 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika and/or parsley.