Hummus Served Hot

There are really no words to express how excited I am to tell you about this creation of mine.  This week's recipe for The Food Matters Project was Hummus Served Hot chosen by Erin from Naturally Ella.  It was a great choice!  So far I have seen some wonderful white bean hummus blends, served in all kinds of ways, including as a pasta sauce!  Very unique - and I'm planning on trying it ASAP!



Mark Bittman is a genius because he gives you the basics to get a good solid recipe going and then encourages you to be creative and take a risk in the kitchen by making it your own.  Props to you, sir because my version of your hot hummus is more like hott hummus.

Hummus is not a new recipe in my repertoire, however, I usually just make it with chick peas tahini, olive oil, lemon, and garlic, take a huge handful of carrot sticks and go to town.  Today is different and brilliant.  I decided originally to make it with pesto and create a panini.  And then I took the Italian roasted tomatoes out of the fridge that I brought home from Whole Foods to garnish with and I decided to be bold and brave (?).  I threw them into half of the hummus and pureed it together creating a gorgeous Italian dip.

Then I was fussing my way through the cabinets and I found ancho chili's.  I took them out, showed them to Ian, we stared and nodded.... done.  A few of these babies into that creamy, smooth and fairly simple dip and we have a smokey, spicy, heavenly substance on our hands... dare I say ladies, you could even pass this off as man food?!

I couldn't bring myself to just dip and eat with corn chips.  This called for more.  (Please forgive my story-telling method this evening, but it was seriously so good that it needs a story.)

So I toasted some bread with some olive oil and smothered it in hummus.

Then I sauteed a portabella mushroom and laid a piece of prosciutto over the roasted tomato hummus, topping it with goat cheese and a leftover tomato.

It was exquisite.

Then for my south of the border delight, I made an over-easy egg and gently laid it overtop of the ancho hummus toast with an ancho and its juices on top.

My life has changed.  Seriously.  Breakfast of champions?  I think so.  It's filled with protein and the flavors are very exciting.

This project is really turning into a favorite activity.  I am having so much fun exploring my creativity and discovering all of the possibilities.  Isn't food just the greatest?  And the weather too - runners highs from an outdoor run are really like nothing else especially when followed by a great meal!