National Press Club

Do up a Zoom Happy Hour with chips and homemade dips

Susan Delbert

April 30, 2020

Chips and dips

This time is like no other for social gatherings in front of computer or IPad screens, and what's a (virtual) gathering without food? 

A classic entrée, soup or anything requiring a fork and knife seems cumbersome, but snacking on healthy dips with some chips, crackers, pita or grilled bread seems a viable alternative. And even a little bit festive.

Below are two dips that require no cooking if you (a) buy canned chick peas for the first; or (b) buy canned or jarred roasted red peppers rather than blistering and peeling fresh ones.  There is little discernible taste difference. Make life easy to make these dips often. A fair question is why bother with homemade hummus when commercial brands are ubiquitous. Well, it is the difference between a homemade pie and a frozen Mrs. Smith. If you see no difference in the two, this recipe may not be for you. I think you will be able to taste the silky difference by making this yourself.

Method of preparation requires a caveat. Both of these dips are immeasurably easier if your kitchen has a food processor, powerful blender, such as a VitaMix, or a handheld immersion mixer. That is not to say one could not use mortar and pestle—they would potentially be more authentic to variations from their countries of origin, but electronics really are a big help here. Given that, a good chef knife also works. Nothing wrong with knife minced ingredients:  at worst, the dips end up chunky.  This is not a bad thing.

Hummus

Hummus
Hummus

Yield: One quart

27 oz. canned garbanzo beans [or 1# overnight soaked and drained dry beans]

1¼ cup water, or liquid/aquafaba drained from canned garbanzo beans.

3 oz. fresh lemon juice, about juice of 2 lemons, plus zest

6 oz. (2/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic (blanched, optional)

2 oz. (4 T) tahini (sesame seed paste)

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (approx./to taste)

Sumac or paprika

Salt (to taste)

Procedure

 

  1.  If using dry garbanzo beans, bring to boil in NON-SALTED water; simmer until soft, then add salt.  Save liquid.  Drain. 
  2. If canned beans, drain liquid from canned beans.  Save liquid (aka “aquafaba”)
  3. Cover beans in cold water. Gently rub between palms and remove outer translucent skin.  Discard skins. This is probably the hardest part of the recipe, but worth it.
  4. Peel and blanch garlic cloves in small amount salted water; cool [optional]
  5. Zest two lemons and juice.  Hold. 
  6. In food processor bowl or blender jar, mince garlic.  Add beans and pulse.  Add tahini, lemon zest and juice, salt and cayenne. 
  7. Drizzle in olive oil. Add aquafaba and/or water to adjust consistency until smooth.
  8. Wrap, label and refrigerate

Assembly for Service:

  1. Transfer hummus to serving dish
  2. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle sumac, paprika or (additional) cayenne over surface.  Fresh lemon is a deluxe addition.
  3. Serve with wedges of cucumber, carrots, celery, and toasted or grilled pita bread, crackers or chips.   Kalamata and green olives, pickled cherry peppers, and/or pepperoncini are complimentary on the side.

Turkish Red Pepper & Walnut Dip

Red Pepper Dip
Red Pepper Dip

Yield: About 3 cups

4 fire-roasted red peppers, canned or jarred, de-seeded and roughly chopped. [or fresh red peppers, blistered, peeled and de-seeded]

4 cloves garlic, [blanch if desired for more mild flavor], fine mince

3 oz. or juice 2 lemons plus zest [or 3 T pomegranate molasses, if available]

2 T brown sugar

1 cup walnuts

1 cup breadcrumbs [Japanese panko or crumbs from 4-5 slices dry bread]

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt/pepper

Procedure

 

  1. Put garlic cloves in food processor bowl.  Mince fine.
  2. Toast walnuts on sheet pan, 350 degree oven, about 10 minutes until smell wafts, or dry toast in skillet on top of stove.  Do not walk away; they will toast quickly in skillet, about 5 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Process or blend until fine. 
  3. Toast breadcrumbs in dry skillet, or in oven, about 5 minutes, stirring about half-way until lightly colored. Cool. Add to walnuts. Pulse a few times.
  4. Peppers: If using fresh peppers, oil exterior and blister over stove burner, under broiler, (or as we do in a commercial kitchen, drop in deep fryer).  When blistered, steam peppers in bowl covered with plastic film.  When cool, peel away charred skin and remove white membranes and seeds, If using canned or jarred, drain liquid, save for another use, (for example in a salad vinaigrette). Roughly chop drained peppers. Add to processor.
  5. Use grater or hand-held Microplane, zest lemons, yellow only, no white pith which is bitter. Squeeze lemons, de-seed and add to processor.   A note about pomegranate molasses.  This arguably makes a more authentic Turkish dip. But it is not main-stream American supermarket ingredient.  If you have it, terrific, substitute for the lemon juice, decrease brown sugar a small amount (1/2 T)
  6. Process until rough paste—not totally smooth.  Stream in olive oil and process just to blend. Check for salt/pepper.
  7. Wrap, label and refrigerate.
  8. Serve as a spread on canapes; also terrific atop steamed vegetables, abit sweet, a bit smoky peppery.  Yum