Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus

Happy New Year!  Our first weekend of the year has been pretty mellow as Ethan is battling some sort of flu, but Ryan did get started on painting Ethan's room, which is HUGE progress.  I'll see about sharing some pictures later this week.

In the meantime, I'm kicking off 2015 with a healthy snack:

I've showcased many Ina Garten recipes, and this one is another hit.  It's taken from her latest cookbook, Make it Ahead.  You'll love the smell that fills your kitchen once the peppers start to roast and the smokey flavor definitely intensifies the overall taste.  

Ingredients:

1 (29-ounce) can chickpeas, drained (3 cups)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

1/3 cup sesame tahini

2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)

1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha

2 roasted red bell peppers (method)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Good olive oil

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Serve with pita chips and fresh veggies

Method:

Place the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, Sriracha, roasted red bell peppers, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Process until the mixture is coarsely pureed.  Taste for seasonings, and transfer into a serving bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, and serve cold or at room temperature with pita chips and vegetables.

This makes for a healthy snack or a crowd-pleasing appetizer at your next get-together.

And can I just say how HAPPY I am that there is finally some good TV back on...Downton Abbey and Bachelor to name a few...our DVR was getting pretty pathetic looking.  And the timing couldn't be better with me going out on maternity leave soon.  

Happy Monday!

xo natasha