Savory Spreads

I had great intentions to indulge all of the fabulous findings of my recent trip to visit my bro and sister-in-law in Austin, TX with my hubby but quite honestly my mind cannot escape food right now. Nor do I have the time.

I will further detail the 18,745 things I loved about the city at a later time but at the present moment Mason is exercising his lungs for his brother to wake up, and testing my willpower not to exercise my own lungs for his insistence to pound Elmo's plastic eyeballs off of the headboard of his crib. He's only two. He's only two.

So for the time being I want to share a great personal hummus recipe I have become addicted to since Christmas. [Number one thing I loved about Austin was the degree of amazing FRESH, unique foods, so this is in lieu of my travel entry.]

This is my own lil' diddy to a black bean spread.

Smoky Black Bean Hummus
2 15oz. cans of black beans
1/4 c. tahini paste
1 lime, juiced
1/2 t. cayenne pepper, ground
1 t. cumin, ground
1/2 t. chipotle pepper, ground [hard to find, but I use McCormick's Gourmet version] or use one chipotle in adobo sauce
1/2 roasted red pepper
2-3 T juice from jar of red pepper
Fresh cilantro, to taste [I use a handful or two, but use more or less to liking]
Salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to stand for a few hours if you can resist, but this is some great stuff. I've made this similarly with garbanzo beans [with hulls removed] and it was equally as amazing. Add more juice [another lime perhaps, more pepper liquid, or perhaps water] to thin if the consistency doesn't suit your likings. You really cannot screw it up. I've frozen this in smaller portions and works great. I love hummus but I can't ingest the amount this makes before it spoils.

Jason, however, would have no qualms with the challenge.

My oldest son, Mason, will eat the hummus alongside tortilla roll ups [with cheese melted inside] or just about any vegetable. It's great with pita, and is just as delish as a condiment alternative to improve the dull turkey sandwich.

All that said, I can still hear Elmo getting a beating upstairs so perhaps that's my cue.