From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Saturday marks the 136th run of the Kentucky Derby and I thought it would be nice to provide some snacks for nibbling as we watched the race and procession of hats at Churchill Downs. I'm a "people watcher", and, to Bob's dismay, I have more fun with before and after events than I do with the race itself. Fortunately food is our great equalizer. I want to serve something outside the pale of standard derby fare, so I decided to try a recipe developed by the chefs at Kai Restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. The restaurant specializes in Native American food and this dip is their interpretation of hummus. It's extremely easy to make and is quite unlike its Middle Eastern cousin in all but texture. While bagged chips could certainly be used, I've decided to serve it with homemade tortilla chips. The corn flavored chips will nicely balance the citrus in the dip and give it a more Southwestern flavor. I cut my corn tortillas into quarters and deep-fried them. If you are watching calories they could be crisped in the oven. Either way, they are a perfect accompaniment to the dip. Here's the recipe for the black bean hummus.
Black Bean Hummus...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by a recipe from Michael Dowd and Jack Strong appearing in the book The New Native American Cuisine
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 (14.5-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons chipotle adobe pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender. Process until smooth. Slowly add oil to puree. Serve with crisp corn tortilla chips. Yield: 2 cups.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Red Pepper Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Chunky Clam and Bacon Dip - One Perfect Bite
Liptauer Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite
