Let's get cooking! (red pepper hummus)

For Christmas I received a good cookbook, my mum also got me one of those recipe folders that you fill with your own recipes and clippings of tasty things to make. I put them on the shelf with all the other books I have and thought to myself '2k11 is the year I actually make things from these books'. You know how it is, you get a recipe book, cook/bake something tasty from it and then never try anything else, just do the same recipe. I made a pact with myself to try and make at least two new things I haven't made before, each month.

Also, I have this weird fear of condiments, this sometimes carries over into dips. Anything vinegar based, I'm probably not going to like. I think a reason I don't eat dips is most likely the texture, obviously not eating sauces with meals (ketchup, salad cream etc) means I'm not used to a wetness, I like my food dry! This contributes to me not eating hummus often. ANYWAY O also made a pact with myself to try and get to like hummus by making it myself, to conquer my weird fear (everyone has a stupid food fear right?). Lo and behold, the first recipe in my new cook book is for red pepper hummus. So I made it, here's how......

you will need:

• 2 red peppers
• 14oz/400g chickpeas
• 2 gloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
• juice 1/2 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• paprika

(You can use canned chick peas, alternatively use dried chick peas, but remember to soak them the night before)

First, deseed the peppers and cut into 4. Place under a hot grill. grill until the skin blackens, place in a plastic bag and when cool peel the skin off.

Peel the garlic, then place in a food processor with the cooled, skinless peppers, lemon juice, chick peas, olive oil and tahini paste. Blend until smooth.

Place into a bowl and sprinkle with paprika. then eat!!!!

(this recipe will feature in Sugar Paper #7, along with a few others!!)