Mini Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Has anyone seen these cute little sweet peppers at Costco? My kids have been gobbling them down by the handfuls. They look kinda tricky, like they might be hot, but they are not. They are so sweet and crunchy. The perfect size for snacking.
As I was watching my daughter down her 10th pepper in a matter of minutes, I thought that these would be really cute as an appetizer or snack stuffed with something yummy.
I always have garbanzo beans and I happen to have some roasted red peppers in the fridge, so I threw this hummus together in a flash. I cut some of the stems off of the peppers and cut out the few little seeds and then spooned some hummus inside, but just grabbing the pepper by the stem and dipping it in the hummus worked well too.
Just furthers the idea that mini makes everything betteR!

Red Pepper Hummus from Cooking Light

1 red bell pepper (I used 1/2 cup of jarred roasted red peppers)

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 garlic clove, quartered

Preheat broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Place bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Coming Tomorrow- Ginger Tea Cake, 2 ways

Operation Baking GALS-Crunchy Sesame Cookies

I saw these cookies on Cooking Light in an article that was about how to pack cookies when you are sending them in the mail. I thought they sounded very interesting and I had some tahini in the fridge (leftover from making hummus), so I decided to try them out. I didn't like them very much when they were warm, although some people did, but once they had cooled and over the course of a few days, we all liked them alot.
If you are looking for a different cookie with an interesting twist, these will do!

Crunchy Sesame Cookies from Cooking Light
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup tahini (roasted sesame-seed paste)
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk; set mixture aside.Place brown sugar, tahini, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.Lightly coat hands with cooking spray. Shape dough into 36 balls (about 1 inch each). Place granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

Baba Gha-Hummus

I know this is a really bad picture, but I was in a hurry. The eggplant looked so good this week at the grocery store that I bought three. I have been wanting to try this dip for quite a while and I am so glad I have outgrown my dislike for eggplant that I harbored as a kid. It was delicious with pita chips, celery and carrots!

Baba Gha-Hummus adapted from Cooking Light

1 large eggplant

3 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 375°.
Pierce eggplant with a fork. Place eggplant on a jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool and peel; discard skin.
Combine eggplant, tahini, and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.