Thai Red Curry Pumpkin Hummus

My days have gotten off to a slow start lately. It seems like before I know it, it’s 3:00 in the afternoon and I haven’t accomplished ½ of what I wanted to. I’ve also been having some difficulty disciplining my dear, sweet obnoxiously bitchy cat, Roxy. She has scratched the living daylight out of a wall corner in the kitchen and is working her way across the rest of the walls in the remaining rooms. Now, I get that it’s in her nature to mark territory by scratching but I’m starting to get a little sick of patching up walls and paint. OK, maybe the hubs is doing that, but I work really hard making sure he doesn’t miss any spots!

Even though we have a scratchy pad in every room, it doesn’t seem good enough for our little princess. We ordered three more in a desperate attempt to preserve the integrity of our home. By Amazon’s good graces, they arrived quickly and I’m ever so hopeful that we can change this behavior. If she keeps this up, she just may claw her way through to the outside… Hmmm, maybe that’s her goal after all.

Sure, she looks sweet and innocent, but this bundle of fur has had a serious attitude problem lately!

My lack of feeling accomplished along with Roxy’s insolence and a little twinge telling me I might be coming down with something has made me crave comfort food. Now you might be thinking mashed potatoes, chicken noodle soup or chocolate. Nope, not for me. My favorite comfort food is Thai – specifically Thai curry. It’s fragrant and sweet with a touch of piquancy. Thai curries are different from Indian curries in that they usually include a variety of fresh herbs instead of ground spices. I always keep a jar of red and green curry paste in my fridge for ease of use whenever I want to throw something together. Although not difficult to make from scratch, I’d usually rather save the time and effort.

Since it is autumn, everything is pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin. Therefore, I decided to marry the sumptuous flavor of Thai red curry with this season’s pet vegetable. This velvety hummus whips up in no time and makes a luscious dip that will add a special pizzazz as a starter to your meal. Even better, it is vegan and gluten-free. Perhaps I’m biased but I believe this is THE BEST hummus I’ve ever eaten. Not just the best I’ve ever made, but hands down The. Best. Hummus. Ever!

Now I know this sounds nuts but Roxy loves curry. No kidding. She goes crazy over it and she absolutely adored this hummus. Maybe if I put curry on her scratchy pads, she’ll love them more too.

Thai Red Curry Pumpkin Hummus

www.barbaracooks.com

Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons (2 ounces) • Weight Watcher Points+: 2

Calories: 64 • Fat: 2g • Carbs: 9g • Fiber: 3g • Protein: 3g

Sugars: 1g • Sodium: 217mg • Cholesterol: 0mg

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained & rinsed well
• 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 2 ½ Tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 Tablespoons tahini paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 Thai chili pepper, ribbed & seeded
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup light coconut milk

Topping:

• ½ teaspoon red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Directions:

Place the garbanzo beans, pumpkin, red curry paste, tahini paste, ginger, Thai chili and salt in a food processor. Set on high and process, 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the coconut milk while still processing. Continue on high until smooth, about 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a medium bowl.

For the topping, stir together the red curry paste and coconut milk. Drizzle on top of the hummus. Drizzle the sesame oil and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top. Serve with veggies, crackers, chips or pita bread for dipping.

NOTE: Want ideas for leftovers? Use it as a sauce atop chicken breast before baking or toss with some steamed vegetables and rice noodles.