A few weeks back, MJ, the children and I had a dinner-in night with friends at their home. We planned to order pizza from a cozy joint nearby and just so we didn’t have to wait, my friend set out a few appetizer foods to tie us over until the food was ready. It was a good thing she did because the pizza place ended up forgetting our order and had to make it when the guys went to pick it up. What should have been a 30-40 minute wait was actually closer to a hour and a half. It all turned out good in the end. The company was pleasant, the pizza was delicious and I was introduced to jalapeno hummus.
Jalapeno hummus is just what it sounds like – it’s hummus with jalapeno. The version my friend shared is a local chain’s store brand and after trying a few other kinds, it’s my favorite. The one criteria point that puts it over the top? It has the right amount of warmth. There’s no point in eating bland jalapeno hummus. Like none. I don’t want to sweat but it’s gotta have something.
The thing is, the store where the hummus is sold is not close to my home. Being the lamo I am, I don’t want to trek all the way there every time I need some. And since I can eat a whole tub of it in one sitting I had to find another method of getting it. Well, my mom makes hummus often and when we visited before Easter, I experimented a little and tossed some jalapenos in a bit of hummus. It was good. Solution found.
The recipe makes a very straight forward hummus. Add in as much or as little jalapeno as you’d like to achieve a mild to hot blend. I’ve found jalapenos vary too; sometimes very little can add a lot of heat and sometimes, it’s like a green pepper. Add in a little at a time and taste test. It’s one of the perks of being the cook. I had myself a dips party during the photo shoot. Jalapeno hummus and the guacamole recipe we LOVE. I like when work is yummy.
Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking
Ingredients
- 1-16oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- salt
- 1 jalapeno pepper, cored and chopped
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin and salt together and puree until smooth.
- Add in the jalapeno pepper a little at a time, pureeing it after each addition. Continue to add in the pepper until the right heat has been achieved.
- Serve with assorted chips and vegetables.
This sounds bomb diggity!