Add Spice To Buffets With Spread Of Red Pepper

Roasted Red Pepper Spread is an elegant alternative to the empty-calorie dips and spreads that usually show up on party buffet tables.

Made with garbanzo beans, garlic and roasted red bell peppers, this festive red, dairy-free dip has plenty of flavor and nutrition, but little fat - just 30 percent of total calories.

During roasting, the natural sugars in the peppers caramelize, giving the vegetables a naturally sweet, deliciously smoky flavor. The garbanzo beans replace a high-fat sour cream or mayonnaise to provide a neutral-tasting, wholesome base.

The spread tastes terrific when lavished on crackers or a thick-crusted slice of bread. And its garlicky sweetness adds an unexpected flavor to the carrots, broccoli and cauliflower on traditional veggie platters. It also tastes great used in place of mayonnaise on turkey or ham sandwiches.

Never roasted peppers before? Don’t worry, it’s easy. The quickest way to roast them is on the rack of an outdoor barbecue grill, but you can also use the oven broiler or a stove-top grill. The idea is to blister the tough skin so it separates from the tender flesh underneath. Once the skin is uniformly blistered, cool the peppers so moisture condenses between the layers, allowing the skin to slip off easily.

Roasted Red Pepper Spread

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

3 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, plus accumulated juice (see note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the garlic. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and drained garbanzo beans. Puree the beans, scraping down sides of processor bowl or blender jar.

Add the red peppers, about 1 tablespoon of the accumulated red pepper juice, salt, water and parsley. Puree until mixture is smooth.

Serve at room temperature or chilled, with crackers, fresh vegetable pieces or crusty bread. Store spread in refrigerator up to 5 days in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Yield: 2-1/4 cups or 18 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 35 calories, 1.2 grams fat (31 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 5 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 124 milligrams sodium.

Note: To roast red peppers, buy large fresh peppers that feel heavy in your hand; the heavier they feel, the thicker the flesh will be. Puncture each pepper with a knife. Roast peppers over a grill or under a broiler, turning frequently, until charred or blistered evenly all around, about 5 minutes per side.

Immediately place in a paper bag or plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Allow to cool to room temperature, then peel (or refrigerate overnight and peel the next day). To peel, pull the skin off with your fingers. Pull out the core and rinse away the seeds under cool, running water. Reserve any juice for additional flavor.

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