Red Bell Pepper Dip

This is a tasty dip to keep on hand to encourage you to eat more vegetables. It pairs well with all kinds of vegetable “sticks” such as broccoli, cherry tomato, sugar snap peas, carrot, jicama and celery. that has been around for thousands of years. It’s a great snack for an afternoon pick me up or a super bowl party!

Serves 10-12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 large red bell peppers, roasted

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

cayenne pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

8 ounces cream cheese

salt and pepper

fresh cilantro (optional)

1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil

Directions

1. Char the peppers over an open flame or broil in the oven until the skins are blistered and charred.  Transfer the peppers to a paper bag or bowl with a cover and let them steam until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut off the tops and discard the seeds and ribs.  (Wear gloves when handling chilies and be careful not to touch your eyes.)

2. Melt butter in small pan and saute’ onion until golden brown and soft.  Add minced garlic and spices and cook 2 minutes longer.

3. In food processor, add prepared peppers, cream cheese, lemon juice cilantro and onion mixture.  Puree until smooth. Refrigerate until firm. 

4. Serve with pita chips or an array of fresh, seasonal vegetables.

Make it your own

For a spicier version, add a jalapeno pepper at step 1.