Sunday, March 28, 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Stuffed Peppers

Hummus

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 small onion, peeled
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or more to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground cumin, hot paprika, or pomegranate seeds for garnish

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in water to cover. Drain; rinse and
cook with the onion in water to cover until the chickpeas are very   
soft. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquor for the dip; save the
rest for soup. Set aside 1/4 cup chickpeas for the garnish. Discard
the onion.

2. Stir up the tahini in its jar with the oil until well blended. [Ed.
note: A crucial step.] Place tahini in blender jar or the work bowl of
a food processor and blend the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice until
the mixture 'whitens.' With the machine running, add the reserved
cooking liquor. Add 1 3/4 cups chickpeas and process until well
blended. Correct the seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Allow dip to
mellow at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. To serve as a dip, spread on a
shallow serving dish. Use the back of a spoon to make a well in the
center, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with cumin, hot paprika,
or pomegranate seeds.