I grew up watching the Parade of Roses every New Year’s Day. Flowers have always been a hobby for my mom. She had a greenhouse, an undisputed green thumb, and a knack for arranging flowers in the most beautiful way. I remember being utterly amazed when she told me that all of the parade floats I was watching on TV were decorated entirely with flowers.
So when my friend Ally of What’s for Dinner, Ally’s Kitchen asked me to test out one of the recipes that she’ll be cooking as a part of this year’s Tournament of Roses Parade, I didn’t hesitate. Of course, this is as much about the football and game day eats as the awesome parade, and Ally will be front and center at the Dole Bistro doing cooking demonstrations of several recipes, including this unique hummus.
The use of pineapple is what first caught my eye. Conceptually, I liked the idea of elevating a classic hummus recipe through the natural sweetness of pineapple that was, in turn, balanced by the heat of hot pepper. Ally told me that this recipe is as close as it gets to the authentic hummus she ate while traveling in Israel. As a interesting side note, on her travels, she also learned that the proper pronunciation is really “whooo’-muss.” (Just a little bit of trivia you can share with friends while enjoying this healthy dip!)
The recipe has definitely not disappointed in this house. We scooped up every bit of the first batch with carrots, cucumbers, and pita chips that I had on hand. My older son mentioned that a friend of his always packs hummus in her lunch (with celery and pretzel dippers), and he would enjoy some of the same. So now he is packing hummus, too. This worked out quite well, as I’m always trying to think of fresh ideas for packed lunches. It’s so easy to make a big batch of hummus in advance with economical pantry ingredients, it travels well, and is an excellent source of protein.
Pineapple Serrano Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained; *reserve 1/4 cup liquid*
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup crushed pineapple, with juice (half of a Dole 8-ounce can)
- 1 serrano pepper, chopped (may substitute 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste)
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 small garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- Garnishes: a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a dusting of paprika (smoked paprika is a nice option)
Instructions
- Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, pineapple, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Add the reserved liquid from the beans, a little at a time, blending until you achieve a creamy mixture with your preferred consistency.
- Transfer the hummus to a bowl. If desired, make concentric circle swirls with a butter knife. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds and paprika over top. Chill or serve immediately (the flavor will improve over time), and serve with pita or flat bread and/or vegetable dippers like carrots, celery, and cucumbers. The hummus is delicious as a sandwich spread, too.
#dolerose
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