Nutrition Transitions: Feta and Roasted Bell Pepper Dip

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Feta and Roasted Bell Pepper Dip

My usual appetizer go-to's include pesto bites, avocado salsa, goat cheese and smoked almond crusted olives, and lentil hummus. For our Mother's Day celebration this year, I decided to mix it up with this Feta and Roasted Bell Pepper Dip (aptly named Hotsy Totsy Dip) from Chin Deep. I had about 10 minutes to make an appetizer to bring to my parents' house - we had just gotten back from celebrating Mother's Day in LA with my husband's family! For breakfast in LA we made egg's benedict, blueberry scones, and fruit salad, and dinner in Scottsdale included seared ahi steaks, chipotle shrimp with avocado, and a giant salad. I think both moms enjoyed their mama love - and great food - this year.

This recipe combines feta, bell peppers, lemon, Sriracha sauce, garlic...yum, yum, yum. I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 because I had 12 ounces (2 6-oz containers) of feta. Additionally, I threw in a box of Fig brand garbanzo beans, which come in PBA-free packaging, to add some protein and fiber and to bulk up the dip even more. The beans made the dip a bit more like hummus, which is all good in my mind.

This recipe takes about five minutes, and when the recipe multiplied by 1.5 and the beans are added it serves at least 12-15. My husband thought this was great and has been eating it with rice chips and cut-up carrots all week. It would also be great with sliced bell peppers, jicama, cauliflower, or cucumber.

Ingredients:

8 oz. crumbled feta cheese

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon regular Sriracha OR Sriracha chili garlic sauce

2-3 large garlic cloves, minced

4 roasted red peppers (I used jarred)

Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

10 ounces garbanzo beans

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place the feta in the bowl of a food processor along with the roasted red peppers. Saute the minced garlic cloves and hot sauce in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, just until fragrant (about 1 minute). Note: I added them raw to the mix because I was extremely short on time. Cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the garlic mixture to the feta. Process until well combined. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process a few seconds longer.