Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

I'm happy that I'm finally getting to use my sun-dried tomatoes that I dried last year. It's been fun experimenting. This hummus was a real treat! It is very quick to pull together, and has lots of flavor. Plus it's healthy for you. I served it with freshly baked pitas along with our dinner of Lemon Chicken and Rice with Artichokes. This would be great at a party or when company comes for dinner.

1 cup water
*6-8 slices sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup water
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained

Bring to boil 1 cup water and remove from heat. Put dried tomato slices in water, cover with lid and let sit for 10 minutes.

In the mean time, combine water, tomato, salt, pepper and beans in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add more water, if necessary, for desired consistency. Pour into a small serving bowl.

Remove tomatoes from water. If you have a hand blender, use it to puree the tomato, adding the tomato water to thin out the mixture. If not, finely chop the tomatoes with a knife.

Spoon the tomato puree in a circle onto the hummus. Swirl together, without completely incorporating the tomatoes into the hummus. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve with pitas.

5 1/4-cup Servings
Calories per serving: 109

NOTES:If you do not have dried tomatoes, you can usually find them in the produce section of the grocery store or you can substitute them for packaged sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in which case, you would no need to rehydrate them in the cup of water).

SOURCE:Adapted from Cooking Light.