Spicy Hummus

When I first moved to Vancouver after university to find a job and was flat broke, my diet largely consisted of microwave popcorn, cereal and hummus and carrots. In fact, I think I ate just that for several weeks straight! Needless to say, I like hummus. So when I got a food processor for my birthday, I set to work developing a super tasty hummus recipe. It had to have two things: lots of garlic and spiciness. This is the recipe I finally settled on; the garlic and pepper amounts can be easily adjusted to suit your tastes.

Since it is so easy to whip up, this hummus is my go-to appetizer when I haven’t thought of or prepared to bring anything else. Since last September (the dawn of the food processor) it has accompanied me to birthday parties, welcome back parties, housewarming parties, the beach and my couch!

Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 jalapeno pepper
2 to 3 red chilies
¼ cup lemon juice
Water, as needed

Remove the seeds from the jalapeno and red chilies. I like to cut them in half and then use the back of the knife to scrape the seeds away.

Put all ingredients, except the water, in the food processor. No need to chop anything. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is a bit lumpy or dry, add water until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency.

Serve with vegetables (my fave is carrots) and pita. Stores well in the fridge for a week (or two…).

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I had a big jar of artichokes to use up and a party to host, so artichoke dip seemed to be in order. It is a favourite of mine at restaurants, but I had never actually made it. I looked at a bunch of recipes online but they were either too complicated or too boring, so I decided to wing it. Result: Yum yum yumminess. Proof: Scraped clean dish (which was huge, I still can’t believe all that dip got consumed so rapidly).

Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

2 to 3 cups marinated artichoke hearts
1 package frozen spinach
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk or cream
pepper
dried chiles

Rinse the artichoke hearts and pat with a towel to get rid of any excess moisture. Squeeze any excess moisture out of the spinach as well.

Place all ingredients into the food processor. Pulse until blended. Be careful not to blend too much, you still want to have some decent size pieces of artichoke. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit more cream.

Spoon into an oven-proof dish and place into a 450F oven for 3o minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Sour Cream Fruit Dip

I am trying to eat healthier in the new year, but I really like to have something sweet after dinner. So tonight I whipped up a quick, healthy dessert – sour cream dip with apples and bananas.

Sour Cream Fruit Dip

Yield: 1 serving (enough for dipping one apple and one banana)

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with sliced fruit.

(1 P)