Hummus is an irresistible start to the year

BY

Betty Williams
Columnist, The Friday Flyer

So, here it is, 2016. After several weeks of fun parties and special treats, I’m trying to get back to exercising regularly, eating sensibly, and losing those couple of extra pounds I gained over the holidays. Happy New Year to you, too.

I’ve also set some culinary goals for the new year. Something that keeps cropping up in food magazines and websites: healthy fats. What exactly are “healthy fats” and how can I incorporate more into meals this year?

Fats are an essential part of our diets. They provide antioxidants and help the body absorb vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Fats also strongly contribute to brain function, energy levels and health of cell membranes. Fats and oils are broken down into categories: unsaturated (mono and poly), saturated and trans fats.

The consensus in most circles is unsaturated fats are good and trans fats are bad, but there are lots of varying opinions on the value of saturated fats. For everyone’s sanity, I won’t go into too much detail about the debate, but will look at the practical side of incorporating the good fats into cooking.

Each month this year a healthy fats recipe will be featured. These recipes will highlight oils, nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters, avocados, olives, salmon, eggs and a host of other good things to eat. My hope is that we will all enjoy more energy, smoother skin and all around better health from what we are putting in our mouths.

To kick off our year, the recipe this week features olive oil and sesame seed paste (also known as tahini). Both are mono-unsaturated fats that provide Vitamin E and can help reduce bad cholesterol levels. Tahini can be found in the peanut butter aisle of most grocery stores, including the local Winco.

This hummus recipe comes from the website inspiredtaste.net. The detailed directions helped me achieve a meltingly smooth hummus that was dipped into with loads of cut-up veggies. Not only was this hummus a healthy way to get back on track, but it lived up to its name: irresistible.

Irresistible Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Yields 1 1/2 cups, about 4 servings

2 whole red bell peppers

(substitute 3/4 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers)

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste

Turn oven broiler on. Remove core of peppers and cut into large flat pieces. Arrange pepper pieces, skin-side up, on a baking sheet. Broil 5 to 10 minutes until the peppers skin has charred. Add peppers to a plastic bag, seal, and wait 10 to 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Or, add to a bowl then cover with plastic wrap and wait 10 to 15 minutes. Gently peel away the charred pepper skin and discard. Reserve 1 to 2 pieces to use as a garnish when serving, then roughly chop the rest.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl, then process another 30 seconds.

Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and smooth. Add peppers to hummus and continue to process for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.

If the hummus is too thick or still has tiny bits of chickpea, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect. Finely chop reserved pepper. Then, scrape the hummus into a bowl, make a small well in the middle and add finely chopped peppers and more olive oil. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.