Black Bean Hummus

little black beans...

This past week our church, Crossroads, hosted their annual "beans and rice week" to save money and change lives. We've attended this church for the past 3 years and have participated in this fundraiser each year. The idea is that for one week you eat rice and beans (or eat cheaply - we just eat whatever we have in the house), then subtract that cost from your usual weekly grocery bill, and then donate the difference. You can learn more here. So for this series I'm repeating (for the first time in 3 years - yes, I've been posting to my blog for that long!) an ingredient - black beans.

There are so many different things you can do with black beans, so even though I'm repeating this ingredient, these recipes will be original. Also, all of these recipes will start with dried beans instead of canned. I'm starting off with a black bean hummus. This recipe is quick and easy to make. You can adjust any of the ingredients to your liking - make it spicier with more cayenne or a add a diced jalapeño, make it smokier with more cumin, or load it up with freshness by adding more green onion and cilantro. Use what you have on hand and make this recipe (that's what I did). Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
2 C Prepared Black Beans (1 C dried beans)
2 T Tahini Paste
3 Green Onions, chopped
1/4 C Cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 T Lemon Juice
1/2 T Chili Powder
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
~1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more for drizzling
Kosher Salt
To Serve: Tortilla Chips and Assorted Veggies

Directions
To prepare the beans: The night before, put 1 cup dried black beans in a pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Cover, refrigerate, and soak until ready to cook. The day of, drain the beans, put them back into the pot, and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer with the lid on. Cook until tender, about 35-40 minutes. Salt about 10 minutes before the beans are done cooking. Drain, cool, and store. You will end up with 2-3 cups cooked beans.

Make the hummus: Put the beans, tahini paste, green onions, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper into a food processor. Pulse about 10 times, or until the beans are coarsely chopped. Next, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus comes together. It will be smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.

Scrape the black bean hummus into a bowl and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve with tortilla chips and assorted veggies. The hummus will stay good refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 10 days. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

a red, red roasted bell pepper

One of my favorite things to take for lunch or have as a snack is hummus. But, I hate paying $4 or more for a good quality hummus, so I learned how to make my own. All you need are a few key ingredients: chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame seed paste), and extra virgin olive oil and a food processor. The hummus can then be flavored any way you like. I'm focusing on roasted red bell peppers for this series, so that's the kind I made.

This hummus is very inexpensive and easy to make. The food processor does nearly all of the work for you. I do take this one step further though, because I make my own roasted red pepper. I don't use jarred roasted peppers because I don't think they taste nearly as good, they are super easy to make, and they are over priced. So, keep this appetizer really economical and make it from scratch. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
1 T Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)

1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1 Can No Salt Added Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans), rinsed & drained
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To Serve: Assorted Vegetables and/or Pita Chips

Directions
Preheat the broiler to high and move the oven rack to two spots from the top. Line a sheet tray with foil.

Begin by roasting the red bell pepper: Cut the top off the pepper. Cut it in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Press flat, cut side down, onto the prepared sheet tray. Broil for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Carefully remove the pepper to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, discard. Set the peeled pepper aside.

Make the hummus: In a food processor combine all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil. Add the roasted red pepper and pulse 8-10 times to roughly chop the mixture. Turn on the motor and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is nearly smooth. Scrape down the sides and, as needed, process once more. Scoop the hummus into a bowl, put in the refrigerator, and chill for 1-2 hours.

Serve with assorted vegetables and/or pita chips. Enjoy this easy economical appetizer!