Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Today started out bright, sunny, and warm. It was a nice little preview of spring, and it got me in a spring cleaning mode. I didn't sit down from 9:30am - 6:30pm, and I feel that I really accomplished a lot today.


One of the things I did was to try out a few hummus recipes and whole wheat pitas. I was unable to find tahini, and I am not able to eat lemon, so the hummus is not entirely authentic... But they taste great anyway!

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans, drained
6-8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (depending on preference)
3 basil leaves, finely chopped
1-4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Follow directions below.





Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
(inspired by Back to Her Roots)

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans
2-3 roasted red peppers (fresh, or jarred and oil-packed)
1-3 garlic cloves, mined (depending on preference)
1 handful fresh parsley (approx 3 tbsp)
1-4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste


Follow the directions below.




Put all of the ingredients but the olive oil, salt and pepper into a food processor. Mix until smooth, adding the olive oil while mixing until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.



Tips:

Peel the garbanzo beans for smoother hummus. To do this, pinch a bean between your fingers. The skin should pop right off.

For better taste, substitute 1 tbsp of the oil the tomatoes or peppers came packed in for 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Sauce
(adapted from Vegetarian Times)


1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained
(OR use 2 fresh red peppers, cut in half and roasted on a grill)
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (retain 1 tbsp of oil)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon water


In a food processor or blender, puree red peppers, tomatoes, oil, garlic, and water. Add more water by the teaspoon until you reach your desired sauce thickness. Add in oregano, basil, and black pepper; blend until well-mixed. Makes about 2 cups.


Use for homemade pizza! I used a pre-made crust here. I plan on posting a pizza dough recipe someday.