Living in the southwest, I see salsa everywhere. In every restaurant, whether it’s an authentic recipe, or the “chef’s own interpretation of” someone elses, salsa is the default dip de jour. And as much as I like salsa, I go looking for options now and then. Like this one.
Seriously Fine Hummus
Serves 8, more or less
1/2C extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff here)
3/4C walnuts, toasted *
1 medium clove garlic, or to taste
1/2C hot water
Chopped cilantro to taste 
1 1/2t crushed red pepper flakes
2C canned garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 2T
1/4C oil-cured olives, chopped
Combine the olive oil and pepper flakes in a small saucepan then heat over medium heat for about 4 minutes. You want to infuse the oil with the pepper flakes, not cook them. Set aside and let cool. If you can, do this a day ahead and set aside in the saucepan, covered.
Give the nuts a spin in the food processor, until you have a sandy texture. Add most of the garbanzos and 1-2T chili oil (no flakes), garlic and lemon juice. Now process until smooth. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time and continue to process until the hummus is creamy and billowy. Process one more minute to incorporate a bit more air. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and more lemon juice.
Serve it up in a shallow bowl, drizzled with plenty of the remaining oil and red pepper flakes for color. Stir in the remaining garbanzos and olives for color and texture, then garnish with cilantro. Serve with chips, toasted, pitas, sliced veggies…you get the idea.
Don’t expect leftovers.
* To toast walnuts, put them on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350F oven until you see they’re starting to turn a bit dark and are very warm to the touch, about 10-15 minutes, Watch them carefully as you don’t want them to burn. While still warm, place them on a clean dish towel and rub them back and forth to remove some of the skin. You won’t get them completely clean here so don’t fret.
Calories: 158, sat fat: 0.76, Cholesterol: 0, Protein: 4.72
Recipe: courtesy 101Cookbooks.com
Photo: simplyrecipes.com
Kent McDonald is a Certified Personal Chef, living and working in Phoenix, AZ. All rights reserved, 2012
