Heavenly Hummus!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
1 c. roasted red peppers (from a water-packed jar)
1/4 c. tahini (sesame paste)
2 T. fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 tsp. ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
2 T. chopped fresh parsley

In a blender or food processor, combine garbanzos, peppers, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin. Process until smooth. Season with salt & pepper; top with parsley.

*Maren's Recipe Notes*

I love this hummus! We eat it all the time and I can't bear to buy hummus at the store anymore because it just doesn't taste good after eating this. I got the recipe from one of Robin Miller's cookbooks.

The roasted red peppers and tahini might seem like a bit of a splurge, especially if you haven't bought them before. Tahini is kind of like peanut butter made with sesame seeds instead (and hiding next to the peanut butter is where you should look when you go to the grocery store). My local grocer sells it in a 2-cup bottle, which is good for 6-8 batches of hummus. Tahini stays good a LONG time in fridge. 6+ months at least.

As for the red peppers, if you don't want to buy them bottled and you have cheap fresh ones available, you can roast your own (instructions at the bottom of this post). For store-bought, I love the roasted peppers that Costco carries.

Lastly, I don't bother to put the parsley on separately at the end. I like to grind it to smithereens along with everything else.

*Fun Ways to Eat Hummus!*

• With pita chips. To make your own: cut pita pockets into triangles, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic salt, then pop into a 400 degree oven until golden & crisp, about 6 minutes.
• With tortilla chips
• Inside pita pockets with cucumber and tomato chunks
  
• As vegetable dip
• I've even just spread it over bread as part of a sandwich. :)
  

For roasting your own peppers:

Core, halve and cut ribs from 2-3 (depending on size) red bell peppers. Heat broiler. Place peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from heat until charred, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; steam 2 to 3 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off pepper skins, reserving any juices in bowl.
(From Everyday Food Magazine)