Red Pepper Hummus and Spicy Whole Wheat Crackers

What do you think of when you think of exotic destinations? When I think exotic destinations, I think of places far away, mysterious and unique. There is no place more mysterious and unique to me than the Egyptian pyramids. Wouldn't you love to see those ancient wonders? Along the way you might stop at a bazaar and bargain for spices, gold, copper, perfumes, and Egyptian cotton. When your stomach started to grumble you might find a place to sit and enjoy some hummus with pita or flatbreads. It would be a pleasant and warm 70 degrees and there would be a perfect breeze.

Or, you could wake up in Kentucky where the weather is a crisp 29F. Your toddler is screaming for juice, you have a cold and you realize that dreams of exotic destinations will have to wait for another day.

This Red Pepper Hummus is my contribution to Exotic Destinations week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I served this with some homemade spicy whole wheat crackers, which I baked for my Healthy Bread in 5 group.
Red Pepper Hummus - adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
1 - 14 oz. can chickpeas
1 - 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons garlic infused oil (I used 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 clove of minced garlic)
1 teaspoon lime juice (I used 1 tsp. lemon juice)
1 teaspoon paprika
salt

Drain the chickpeas and peppers and put them into a food processor. (I used my blender with great results) Add the cream cheese, oil, lime juice, and paprika. Whiz to a hummus-like puree, and then add salt and perhaps more lime juice according to taste. Makes 2 cups

Notes/Results: While Nigella's addition of cream cheese is not authentic, it does make a very creamy hummus. The hummus was a beautiful orange color and paired very well with my spicy crackers. It was a little on the spicy side, although I'm not sure why and since I like spicy that is okay by me. Although I prefer traditional hummus, I am really enjoying Nigella's variation and would probably make it again if I had the ingredients on hand.

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out all the other exotic recipes this week.


As part of the Healthy Bread in 5, I also made the master recipe. A beautiful whole wheat boule, which will create some wonderful hummus sandwiches this week.

You can check out the HB in 5 group over on Michelle's site, Big Black Dog. We are going to be baking our way through the new HB in 5 book. This is our first group post, so there is still time to join along!