Spicy Hummus With Grilled Pita Food

SPICY HUMMUS: QUICK CHICKPEA SPREAD

Steps:

• Combine beans, tahini, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in food processor bowl and grind into a smooth paste. Transfer to a small dip dish and surround spread with warm pita wedges. This recipe makes a great appetizer, or anytime snack.
• Tidbit: this is a fantastic dish to take to a pot luck or block party -- it's always a hit!

SPICY HUMMUS

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until coarsely pureed. The hummus should be moist and thick; add more lemon juice or reserved chickpea liquid to thin, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings. Place the hummus in a serving bowl and drizzle Sriracha over the top. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.

GRILLED PITA

Steps:

• Whisk 2 1/2 cups flour and the yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the water and mix using a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. The dough should be a little sticky, but soft and able to hold its shape. Add up to 1/2 cup more flour, if needed. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until it's soft, smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer and knead until the dough becomes soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough might be just a little sticky and that's okay.
• Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in a draft-free area, such as a turned-off oven, until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
• Gently deflate the dough by pressing it down with your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and gently flatten. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a cast-iron griddle on an outdoor grill and heat it to medium high (450 degrees F) with the lid closed. Alternatively, you can use a large cast-iron skillet.
• Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out 1 piece of dough into a round about 1/4-inch thick, flipping the dough a few times to prevent it from sticking. Meanwhile, keep the remaining pieces of dough covered with a kitchen towel. Transfer the rolled-out pitas to a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the rounds with a flour-dusted piece of parchment or wax paper between each round to prevent them from sticking.
• Brush the griddle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle a little water on a rolled-out pita and place it on the griddle. You can cook 2 pitas at a time on a grill pan and 1 pita at a time on a cast-iron skillet. Close the grill and cook until there are small light brown spots on the pita, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Some of the pitas will puff up as they cook. Transfer to a platter and cover with a clean towel to prevent them from drying out. Repeat with the remaining rolled-out pitas. (It shouldn't be necessary to re-oil the griddle if it is well-seasoned.) Serve warm.

CLASSIC HUMMUS WITH SPICED 'N BAKED PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, add the chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy, adding some water to make it the consistency of dip. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more lemon, cumin, salt, and pepper. Scoop the hummus into a bowl. (May be covered and refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days.)
• When ready to serve, garnish with cumin, paprika, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with Spiced 'n Baked Pita Chips or crudite.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the pitas into quarters and spread them onto the baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, zatar, and sea salt, to taste. Drizzle this mixture over the pita pieces and toss them together with your hands to coat them evenly. Bake them until golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool.

DILL HUMMUS AND TOASTED PITA WEDGES

Steps:

• Special Equipment: Food processor
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor add 1 can of beans, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, cumin, and paprika. Pulse until smooth. Add the second can of beans and pulse until beans are incorporated but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Cut each pita into 6 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake for 5 minutes or until crisp. Serve with hummus garnished with dill and paprika.

SUPREMELY SPICY HUMMUS

Steps:

• Combine tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, sesame oil, and hot sauce in a food processor or blender; blend until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and blend for 2 minutes. Add water and blend for 3 minutes more. Chill in refrigerator.

SPICY CRUSHED HUMMUS

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and jalapeno until soft, about 2 minutes.
• Put 3 cups of the chickpeas in a food processor. Add the sauteed garlic and jalapeno, 3 tablespoons olive oil, sesame oil and lemon juice and process until smooth. If too tight, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the remaining 1 cup chickpeas to the food processor and pulse a few times; the mixture should be chunky. Sprinkle the top with the smoked paprika and parsley. Serve with lavash chips.