Here’s one of those drop-dead-easy and delicious appetizers that packs a nutritious punch and only takes 5 minutes to make with a food processor.  Although you can eat it right away, it tastes better after spending a few hours in the fridge. In fact it’s such a tasty no-brainer that I can’t imagine why anyone would bother buying ready-made hummus; this is far more economical to make and anything home-made will be additive free  – and isn’t that what we all want, really?

There’s also the added bonus of not having to force your children (of any age) to eat their greens – the kale blends in really well and if you want to spice it up a bit, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

HUMMUS with SUN-DRIED TOMATOES & KALE

(Makes approx 1 ½ cups – 360ml)

Ingredients:

One 14 oz (400g) can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste)

½ teaspoon of sea-salt

2 tablespoons of extra-v olive oil

¼ cup (60ml) water

¼ cup (60ml) of sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped lemon zest

A bunch of Tuscan (dinosaur) kale, stems and thicker veins discarded, rinsed and roughly torn up

¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional)

Action:

Steam or microwave the kale until its a bit limp and bright green – 2 minutes in the microwave will do it – no need to add water, just put the washed wet kale in a non-metal bowl and nuke it. Squeeze the moisture out of the kale until you have a soft green ball.

Pulse the first 5 ingredients in a food processor – you want it slightly chunky.  Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the kale and pulse until everything is well blended but not too finely chopped. Stir in the smoked paprika if using; give it a good grind of black pepper and add more salt if necessary.

Cover and chill for 2 hrs or overnight to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with your favorite chips, or spread onto bruschetta, topped with a few shreds of sun-dried tomato for a pretty hors-d’oeuvre.

It will keep well in the fridge for about 2 days.