HEART HEALTHY RECIPE- SMOKY RED BELL PEPPER HUMMUS

Serves 8

¼ cup per serving (plus 4½ cups chickpeas remaining)

Slow cooker size/shape

3 to 4½ quart round or oval

Slow cooking time

10 hours on low

§  1 pound dried chickpeas, sorted for stones and shriveled chickpeas, rinsed, and drained

§  6 cups water

§  3 tablespoons sesame seeds, dry roasted

§  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

§  2 tablespoons fat-free plain Greek yogurt

§  3 tablespoons water

§  1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin preferred), divided use

§  2 medium garlic cloves, minced

§  2 medium strips of lemon peel (each about 3 inches by ½ inch)

§  ¼ to ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

§  ¼ teaspoon salt

§  1 medium roasted red bell pepper, quartered, drained if bottled

Slow cooking the chickpeas results in extra creaminess so we went ahead and called for cooking a pound of them, even though you need about a third of that for this Middle Eastern spread.  Serve the hummus on whole-grain pita wedges or with crudités, then enjoy the bonus chickpeas in soups, stews and green salads.

Fill a large saucepan ¾ full of water (not the 6 cups in the ingredients list).  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the chickpeas.  Return to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Pour the chickpeas into a colander and rinse.

Pour the chickpeas into the slow cooker.  Pour in 6 cups water.  Cook, covered, on low for 10 hours, adding more water if needed to keep the chickpeas covered.  Be sure to quickly add the water and re-cover the slow cooker each time.

 

Measure out 2 cups of the cooked chickpeas for the hummus.  Transfer the remaining 4 ½ cups to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months for other uses.

To prepare the hummus, process the sesame seeds in a food processor or blender for 30 seconds.  Add, in order, the lemon juice, yogurt, remaining 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, lemon peel, paprika, salt, 2 cups cooked chickpeas, and roasted pepper.  Process until smooth. 

Serve warm or transfer to an airtight container and cover and refrigerate until serving time.  Just before serving, drizzle the hummus with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil.

Tip on roasted bell peppers: To prepare roasted bell peppers, preheat the broiler.  Spray a broiler pan and rack with cooking spray.  Broil the bell pepper on the broiler pan about 4 inches from the heat, turning until the pepper is charred all over.  Put the pepper in a small bowl and let stand, covered, for at least 5 minutes.  (It won’t hurt the pepper to stand for as long as 20 minutes.)  Rinse the pepper with cold water, removing and discarding the blackened skin, ribs, seeds, and stem.  Blot the pepper dry.

Tip on dry-roasting seeds:  To dry-roast seeds, such as the sesame seeds here, put them in a single layer in a small skillet.  Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until the seeds darken and begin to pop, stirring frequently.  Remove them from the skillet so they don’t burn.

Per Serving____________________________________________

Calories                                 109                        

Cholesterol                           0 mg

Total Fat                                4.5 g                      

Sodium                                   62 mg

Saturated Fat                        0.0 g                      

Carbohydrates                      5 g

Trans Fat                                0.0 g                                      

Fiber                                        3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat             1.0 g                                      

Sugars                                      2 g

Monounsaturated Fat           0.5 g                      

Protein                                     1 g

                       

Dietary Exchanges

1 vegetable, ½ fat

American Heart Association “healthy slow cooker cookbook”  (2012, 18-19)