Fit Fare

I fell in love with hummus when I was in college in New York. I tried anything new I could get my hands on back then because there was such a wide variety of rich and unique foods that I was unaccustomed to. I sampled taboule, sushi, fresh mozzarella and a variety of other yummy things.

As much as I love the ease of picking up a container of hummus, there is just something so delightful about fresh homemade hummus. It has a special and different taste that I love. Here is a recipe for one of my favorites:

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Hummus

2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (or 1 tbsp dried parsley)
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
a pinch of cumin
1-1/2 cups chickpeas (cooked)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

Place the sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Remove the seeds from the pan and set aside.

Heat olive oil in the skillet and stir in the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is transparant and soft. Add the parsley, basil, coriander, oregano, black pepper and cumin. Stir for an additional 1-2 minutes until fresh herbs are just wilted.

Put the chickpeas and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add in the onion mixture, sesame seeds and artichokes and continue processing.

Remove mixture from food processor or blender to a bowl and stir in roasted peppers.