Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Red pepper hummus, and quinoa with purple kale


Thank you for your well wishes regarding my migraine, general 'wrongness', and overall finish to last week. I am pleased to say that the weekend brought happier times and this week things have been smoother - and migraine free.

The red pepper hummus featured today wasn't made last weekend, but it was a happy contributor to the one before. It stems from Mel's generous gift package including more than just liquid smoke. Her smoky paprika and chile chipotle powder are both new additions to my kitchen, and I suspect my experimentation with them will continue for some time yet.


Red pepper hummus - note the scrap of paper which allows me to tell you what I put in it...

My first 'experiment' was to add some of each powder to a bowl of chickpeas and vegetables. I realised afterwards that Johanna's kale and chickpea bowl on Green Gourmet Giraffe featured cayenne pepper (chilli pepper), and I may have benefited from modelling my ingredients on hers. She used a pinch of cayenne pepper, whereas I used a very generous dash of both the smoky paprika and the chile chipotle powder. This is how I discovered that chile chipotle powder is spicy! For some reason it hadn't dawned on me that it was actual, smoked jalapeƱo chilli, with all the heat that brings. It was an enjoyable bowl, but a warm one...



After this impromptu creation, I was a little more cautious. I was still stuck on chickpeas, though, and red pepper hummus seemed like a good way to bring together the chickpeas with modest chilli tones. There are a few sources of inspiration out there if you want to make a red pepper hummus of your own - I did recall Johanna's version this time around, as well as Angela's recipe on Oh She Glows, and a Google search brings up many more varieties.


My hummus probably drew inspiration from all of these places, but didn't follow one particular recipe. It included half of a large roasted pepper and just one-quarter teaspoon of the chile chipotle power, as well as half a teaspoon of smoky paprika. It worked well and I really enjoyed the twist on regular hummus, as well as the colour of the dip. However, I think my caution may have led me to over-compensate and under-season, just slightly. I would probably increase the spice again next time, particularly for the paprika.


I enjoyed this dip as a dip, but something about it called 'quinoa'. I don't know why. My tastebuds just wanted it to be placed on top of a pile of grains and vegetables, and I was quite happy to indulge them. This also gave me an opportunity to use the purple kale I had discovered. After not having any kale for months and months, my local markets now seem to have it in green and purple varieties, much to my delight. 


The quinoa mix was simple, with nothing more than quinoa, vegetable stock and vegetables, but it provided a perfect base for the smoky dip. My taste buds were happy. It was a great dinner for one (quinoa and chilli and kale aren't really Mr Bite's sorts of foods...) and very enjoyable to take to work for lunch.

And if you happened to have some of those smoky almonds? Throw a few of them in too. Highly recommended.




Red pepper hummus with a dash of smoke and spice, served with quinoa with purple kale

Red pepper hummus
Makes about 1 cup


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (1 tin) cooked chickpeas, drained
1 small or 1/2 large red pepper, roasted or grilled and then cooled (I grilled mine as part of dinner preparations the evening before, in medium slices for 6 - 8 minutes on each side)
1/2 - 1 tsp smoky paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chile chipotle powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp maple syrup
Dash of salt and pepper

Method
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Note. I used the lower end of the ingredient ranges for the paprika and chipotle powder, but would increase them in future.




Quinoa with purple kale
Makes 2 serves


Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
1 small or 1/2 large red pepper, diced
1/2 large zucchini, diced
4 leaves kale, roughly chopped

Method
Place the quinoa and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the vegetables and cook on low heat for a further 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just cooked and the quinoa is fluffly.

Serve as a side dish or topped with red pepper hummus and optional almonds.



Seriously, wonderfully, brilliantly good.

As for the rest of the hummus? It's been a versatile dip, and I've enjoyed it in a number of ways - one of the more notable being as a zucchini stack.


I am definitely fond of these new spice additions to my cupboard.

How do you like to use dips - for dipping, or as part of meals? And have you ever caught yourself out with spice quantities?!

41 comments:

  1. I've never seen purple kale - how utterly gorgeous! The hummus sounds amazing... actually the whole dish is totally my style of eats! Smoky paprika is one of my all time favourites, such a beautiful flavour (and colour)

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    1. Thanks Lou, I think smoky paprika may be entering my favourites list too!

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  2. The first time I used smoked paprika I used too much and thought it horrid and swore off it - am glad I finally worked out how to get the quantities right because now I love it. Glad my recipes were helpful in guiding you in using the stuff - I have tinned chipotles in adobo but I find it rather spicy too. Would love to find purple kale - did it taste different to green kale?

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    1. Your recipes are generally so helpful that your blog is my 'go to' place when I want to check or find something :)

      I hope you do find some purple kale - I am sure if it is here it will be in Victoria somewhere. I could say it tasted slightly sweeter, but it is possible that's an artifact of the colour (I don't trust my mind to distinguish!). Pretty close to green at any rate.

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  3. Great to hear that you are feeling better Kari and good to see that you are having fun experimenting with the new ingredients! I'm such a spice fiend and don't find that the chipotle powder is as spicy as the straight chilli powder that I buy from my Indian grocer. I hope it didn't turn out too hot for you!

    I had a bad experience with the translation of what Americans call chilli powder (basically a spicy taco style mix) to my hot chilli powder in a recipe last year. That meal was really hot but it still tasted great so I ate it all with tears streaming down my face. ;) I can never use too much smoked paprika though, I just adore it's flavour and use it in abundance.

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    1. Forgot to say that the hummus sounds great and so does your meal combination! I've tried a roasted red pepper and olive flavoured hummus before which was great but I really do prefer smoky flavoured ones.

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    2. Thank you Mel - for all points and both comments :-) It wasn't too hot, just perhaps a little hotter than expected (!) and I enjoy spicy dishes to the extent that I don't mind a bit of fire. I'm not sure I'm up to tears running down my face though!

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  4. I've made red pepper hummus several times, but never with chile chipotle powder. I'm def going to have to add it next time. Spicier the better! And that purple quinoa looks gorgeous! The meal will be for me only since the hubby simply refuses to eat kale (gasp!). Fine by me! Although I do wish he will come to his senses and realize what he's been missing out on all these years..Someday...

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    1. Oh don't worry, my partner isn't into kale either. Or quinoa. Or spice. :D

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  5. I have also been heavy handed with the cayenne pepper. It sure does look harmless enough but it definitely packs a punch. I love your purple quinoa - two great ingredients combined! And hummus with a bit of heat is just delicious. Great dish Kari xx

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    1. Thank you Charlie - I am having such fun with coloured vegetables. It makes such a difference to a meal! A bit of heat does the same, especially in winter.

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  6. Your red pepper hummus looks amazing! I so want me some of that- but I guess I'll have to make it to get it. Sigh ...

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  7. Hummus is my favorite snack! My bestie is coming into town this weekend so I might try this recipe....yummy!

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    1. It's a good product to have as a favourite snack :) I love it but often forget about it between purchases / making it. I need to remember more often!

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  8. I have never had purple kale before. Does it taste the same as the green variety?

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    1. Pretty much! Maybe slightly sweeter, but that might just be the colour playing with me :P

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  9. I love that zucchini stack! And we've got a few kales growing in the garden, even though we're entirely the wrong climate for it, so in a few weeks I'll hopefully be collecting all of these kale recipes.

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    1. I have some green kale growing too :) It's the first year and I'm monitoring it carefully for bugs. So far so good!

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  10. Ewwww, hummus. Mr. A LOVES hummus. This would be perfect for him.

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

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    1. Truly? That is impressive on Mr A's part! I'm sorry it's not your thing, but I guess there are foods that just scream ewww to us.

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  11. Nice! I haven't seen purple kale around but we found some kale at Bunnings and have it growing in the veggie patch! It's resilient stuff let me tell you!

    This looks delish! Bring on the chilli! (But I'm Indian so may be slightly biased :P).

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    1. I have some of the green kale variety growing too - also from Bunnings :D It has to be resilient to grow under my care!

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  12. i have never tasted before. is it good

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  13. Oh my word! Everything looks amazing! I have never seen, or tasted, purple Kale. I like the green, so it can't be too bad. :) I love new ideas that involve quinoa. So good!

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    1. Thanks Brandi :) Purple kale was a really exciting discovery.

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  14. Smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder are two of my favorite "secret ingredients"...they give everything they touch that WOW factor. What a great hummus and chickpea bowl!

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    1. They are pretty WOWing - I can't believe it took me so long to discover them!

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  15. Mmmm that hummus looks and sounds awesome!!

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  16. Oh my..this looks incredible!
    I have never cooked with purple kale! Love the punch of color!

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    1. It is very fun :) I am becoming very, very taken with coloured vegetables and the effects they have!

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  17. This all looks spectacular. I'm a chilli-heat fiend, so I would happily have stolen your "warm" dishes :D

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    1. I'd have happily shared them with you :)

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  18. I wish we had that chipotle chilli in Australia - I'm going to give quinoa another try this weekend. xx

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    1. I wish we had lots of things in Australia! It took me a while to get into quinoa too - I still only like it cooked in stock and paired with other flavours. Rinsing it before cooking does also make a surprising difference!

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  19. okay, i'm a little weird and not much of a 'dipper'...lol. i kno i'm crazy, and because of that i'm not a huge hummus person. but ur spread DOES look tasty and since it's topping more of a 'meal' there on the quinoa i'd dig in. ;)

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    1. I'm not usually much of a dipper either, don't worry :) I think that may be part of the reason this turned into a meal.

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