With the holidays coming up I know I will be asked many times about appetizer recipes for parties so I thought I would post a few of my favorites. This is a variation of hummus without the tahini. The smoked paprika, roasted cumin seeds and cayenne give this creamy dip a nice roasted flavor with a bit of a kick. It is best served with thin slices of fresh baked bread, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper and smoked paprika then grilled until toasted. You can make this a day ahead of the party and refrigerate, but let it return to room temperature, drizzle with olive oil and top with cilantro to serve.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 small cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• grilled bread or pitas, for serving

PREPARATION:

1. Heat a skillet to moderate heat and cook the cumin seeds, shaking the pan until they are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. pour them into a coffeeor spice grinder, let cool and grind to a fine powder. If you don’t have a grinder you can use ground cumin without roasting it, but you will loose much of the roasty toasty flavor.

2. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic lemon juice, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, lemon zest and pulse a few times until finely chopped. With the processor going, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and puree until the dip is very smooth. Season with salt to taste and transfer to serving bowl. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the dip and top with the cilantro.

Serves 8

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