Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe

There is a lovely blogging event going on over at Melle Cotte to encourage people to eat more cancer-fighting foods – Cooking to Combat Cancer II. I think eating cancer-fighting foods is important, especially with my family history. Both of my parents have had cancer. It’s nearly impossible these days to meet someone who doesn’t know someone who has had cancer. I wear a pink breast cancer band every day. I even almost forgot to take it off on my wedding day!

Hubby and I LOVE hummus. And, according to this article, beans help fight cancer! Score! The article lists 11 Cancer Fighting Foods:

Beans: Beans contain a number of phytochemicals, which have been shown to prevent or slow genetic damage to cells. While this makes beans beneficial for helping to reduce your risk of many types of cancer, specific research has suggested they are especially potent in preventing prostate cancer. As an added bonus, the high fiber content of beans has been connected with a lower risk of digestive cancers.

I’ve been wanting to make some myself for a while, but have had a really hard time finding Tahini. I finally found it and have made hummus 3 times in 2 weeks.

Homemade really is SO MUCH better than store bought. I followed Katie’s recipe except I added one roasted red pepper to the mix. It was delicious.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – from Katie, adapted by Me
1 12-oz can chick peas
1 roasted red pepper
1-2 large cloves garlic – I used 4
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp+ tahini (sesame paste)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt

Drain water from the can of chick peas into a small bowl and reserve.

In a food processor (or blender), mix together the chick peas with the remaining rest of the ingredients, being careful to add second half of lemon juice and tahini slowly, stopping to taste.

Slowly add some of the reserved liquid from beans and a bit of water for correct consistency,(about 1-2 minutes) until a smooth, slightly fluid paste is formed.

Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before serving. This changes the taste of the hummus by allowing the flavors to form.

Note: to dress the hummus up for the table, the traditional way of serving is on a plate, with an extra drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley.