Roasted red pepper and walnut dip

March 23, 2011

Last Friday, Mr. Shuffler and I played host to Dr. Elbows and her new husband, Mr. Elbows (actually, he’s been around for a few years but they made it official six weeks ago). She brought this dip with her and generously allowed me to keep the leftovers (I may have strong-armed her a bit).

Anyway, so we’re sitting around my kitchen table enjoying some appetizers and vino when Elbows announces that this dip has a mysterious-and-unusual ingredient. Naturally, we want to know what it is. She refuses to tell us until we try it. Our love for all things eatable wins out over skepticism and it turns out to be one of the best dips I’ve ever had. Elbows then tells us that the secret ingredient is pita bread. We are confused by this because we were eating the dip with pita bread. It turns out that this dip actually contains pita bread. You toast it, soak it in water and then process it in to the dip. Believe it or not, it really enhances the texture.

I can confirm that the dip remains tasty for at least a week because that’s how long I’ve been eating it. I love it as a late afternoon snack with some carrot sticks. The recipe originally comes from Martha Stewart and can be found here. Serves 10-12.

Ingredients

3 red bell peppers (about 1 pound)

One 6-inch pita bread (2 ounces)

1 cup water

1 small garlic clove

4 ounces walnut pieces (about 3/4 cup), toasted, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, plus more for garnish (optional)

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roast peppers over a gas burner until blackened all over, turning with tongs as each side is blistered. (Alternatively, place under a broiler.) Transfer to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let stand about 15 minutes. Peel, and discard skins, stems, and seeds. Set peppers aside.

Toast pita bread until crisp and golden. Break into 2-inch pieces; place in a bowl, and cover with the water. Soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a sieve, and drain well, pressing out excess water. Set aside.

Combine garlic and walnut pieces in the bowl of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Add paprika, cumin, and reserved peppers and pita bread; process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add vinegar, lemon juice, oil, and salt, and season with black pepper. Pulse until combined.

Transfer to a serving bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Before serving, bring to room temperature. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with walnuts or paprika, as desired.

**Want to see your name on the iRun homepage? Do you dream of being the next Iron-man Chef (see what I did there? – a triathloning cook…) Send in your recipes (and pictures, if you’ve got them) to webeditor@irun.ca.**