Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ok, so there were good and bad parts to my hummus attempt.  It was supposed to be the Hummus Trifecta, but it didn't quite turn out like that.  One perfecta, and two trashecta (yep, made that up)!  The bad first.  I made 3 flavors, only one turned out. The good.  The one that turned out was actually amazing.  And, I also discovered the secret to super creamy and smooth hummus (major good points).  So, even tho I made 3 flavors, I'm only sharing one.  The two flop flavors were Caramelized Shallot and Ginger Edamame.  The Ginger Edamame wasn't bad, it just wasn't super great.  And the caramelized shallot, well, I put way too much onion into it, turns out I don't have much shallot experience.  So that was a learning experience, shallots are concentrated onions, very concentrated.

So before we get into the recipe, here is the secret to super creamy and smooth hummus.  Last year I went though a home made hummus faze, but with each attempt I could never get it as smooth as I wanted.  It was always a little grainy, no matter how long I let the food processor go at it.  So a while back I read a recipe that said to remove the chickpeas from their shell or casings.  And there you have it.  I can tell you that buying a higher quality can of chickpeas is worth it.  I had one can of higher quality (can't remember the brand) and 2 cans of western family.  I decided to boil the beans for about 3 minutes in about 5 cups of water to loosen that casing.  The nicer beans stayed firm, but the western family mushed a little.  On to the recipe...

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

What You'll need:
2 cans higher quality chickpeas (casings removed, see above)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
2/3 cup tahini
2/3 cup water
1 jar roasted red peppers (you can find them usually by the pickles)
3/4 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup feta
1/4 cup chickpea liquid for can

In a food processor blend lime, tahini and garlic into a paste.  It gets a little thick.  Add water, olive oil, chickpeas salt, and half of the jar of roasted peppers.  Blend until very smooth, about 3 minutes.  If it still seems a little thick, add a little water or the chickpea liquid from the can.  Chop the remaining red peppers.  Pour hummus into a bowl and mix in cumin and chopped peppers.  Sprinkle top with feta.

I served the hummus with toasted pita chips.  I bought a pack of pita bread from the store, then cut it into triangles.  I split the triages into 2 pieces, placed them on a cookie sheet, and broiled until toasted.  They were crispy and chewy.  It would also be delicious with cut carrots, celery, and cucumber, or whatever your favorite veggies are.

I thought I would at least show you how yummy the trifecta looked!

This hummus was really great.  I took it to a ladies night at a friends, and it was a big hit.  The other 2 flavors were hardly touched (wonder why?).  The next morning Kam and I even ate the left overs for breakfast.  Soooo goooood.  Enjoy!