Wanting to try this recipe today for another Super Bowl party appetizer, but knowing that my local market doesn’t carry prepared hummus, I decided to make my own. It isn’t difficult and you need very few ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, sea salt and water. Since I was already committed to making the hummus, I decided that a roasted red pepper version would fill the bill nicely. Off to the market for two cans of chickpeas then and a nice looking red pepper. And, yes, I did took the time to pinch the itty bitty skins off of the chickpeas, and, yes, that is a LOT of pea-picking, time, but I can’t imagine putting all those skins into the hummus itself; just a personal preference, but because it was a nice day for standing at the kitchen sink watching the clouds shift, I went on and did the pinching! Once the hummus is chilling in the fridge there is plenty of time for preparing the roasted pepper. Make sure that you allow the skin to char well as this insures an easy time removing it.  For today’s recipe, the last thing needed was preparing the tortilla chips and that takes just a few minutes.  Cut them into strips and place on a rimmed baking sheet then add the olive oil and seasonings and toss well to coat thoroughly before baking.  All this pinching and roasting resulted in a creamy hummus perfect for spreading or dipping with the spiced chips and you have texture and flavor that definitely rock!

One reason I chose this recipe is because I knew I could buy the hummus at a larger market and even though it didn’t turn out that way for me because I wasn’t at that market, if YOU want to cut your kitchen time in half, buy the hummus; larger grocery stores carry several versions already prepared; if you do so, then all you need do for this recipe is prepare the  tortilla chips the day before and store them in an airtight container. On game day, just plate your hummus and set out the chips and settle in for a little football fun. And accept the compliments graciously of course!  =)

Spiced Tortilla Chips & Hummus

Tortilla Chips – Recipe

Ingredients

4-8”inch flour tortillas, cut into 2-inch strips
2 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 t. sesame seeds
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper
Hummus and paprika, for serving

Heat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheets, toss the tortilla strips with the oil, sesame seeds, thyme, oregano, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Store airtight.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – Recipe

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas
1 clove garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Approximately ½ cup water
½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions: Remove the skins from the chickpeas by gently pinching them until the skin comes off. Discard the skins and reserve the chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas then roast them in the oven in a shallow pan with a little olive oil, the garlic clove, and a dash of cumin, 400 degrees, for 20 minutes. Cool slightly then place all in a blender or food processor with garlic, olive oil, ¼ cup water, and salt. Blend and puree until very smooth. If the mixture remains sticky, add more of the water, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to achieve a creamy texture. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate, covered. Before serving, dust with paprika and drizzle with more olive oil.

To roast the pepper, core it and remove seeds and membranes, cut into large flat pieces; roast it under the broiler with your pan about 5” from the broiler element. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Allow the skin to become very charred. Remove from oven and place in a sealed Ziplock bag for 15 minutes. The skin will then slide off easily. For red pepper hummus, mince the de-skinned pepper and make a well in the hummus; fill with the roasted pepper.