Spicy Chickpea Spread

This Chickpea Spread is basically similar to Hummus because it has the legumes, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic typically found in any hummus recipe. However, it also has adobo sauce and roasted bell peppers, typically found in Southwestern cuisine or Tex-Mex recipes; replacing the lemon juice with lime juice enhances this effect. Sometimes eclectic ingredients work together very well, both nutritionally and for palatability!

1 cup chickpeas, cooked

2 tbls fresh lemon juice (1 lemon) or lime juice

¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)

2 tbls olive oil

2 tbls garlic, roasted or fresh

¼ cup diced bell pepper, roasted or fresh

1 tbls adobo sauce or other chipotlé-flavored hotsauce

1 tbls parsley flakes

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Roasting Fresh Garlic:

To roast fresh garlic, slice the bunches in half side-to-side and place them cut side up on foil. Brush the top with olive oil; if you have rosemary sprigs flavoring olive oil, remove one and use it as a brush, then place it over the divided bunches and seal the foil. Roast in the oven at 375° F for about 30 minutes, or until you smell the fragrance of the garlic and rosemary coming together. Remove and check for a rich golden color and soft texture of the cloves. Reseal and allow the garlic to cool a bit before squeezing the cloves out of their skins. Any excess garlic may be stored in a clean jar and covered with olive oil, then refrigerated until needed.

Place ingredients in a food processor and process until a smooth, thick consistency is reached. Drizzle in additional olive oil if necessary. Scrape down sides of bowl, buzz again, and taste once the mixture has come together. Add more salt or lemon juice as required. The lemon juice adds a freshness to the flavor that improves the taste of the chickpeas.

If you love really spicy food, feel free to add one of the chipotlé peppers from the adobo sauce or fresh or pickled jalapeños or other chilis.

This recipe may be doubled for a party or in order to freeze some for a later occasion. The spread also keeps well in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Serve as a spread for bread, pitas, crackers, or as a dip for taco chips or for thick home-made breadsticks! Serve with cold beer or any acidic, thirst-quenching beverage.