Yellow Pepper and Lemon Hummus Dip

We were having a small, impromptu afternoon drink with friends; I feel anytime drinks are involved, there should be snacks to go with them.  Perhaps it's an expectation that was been embedded by the bars of my youth who served little bowls of salty snacks; more recently it's the free popcorn available at many Chicago bars.

No-one is blind to the idea behind those salty snacks, and yes, we do drink more because of them ... but there is a chance I was going to drink more anyway!  Salty snacks was not my goal of this get together, it was just to have a quick afternoon munchie- nothing more. 

My last minute go-to dip always starts with a can of beans- white, black, garbanzo, whatever is in the cupboard.  This particular dip takes one extra step to roast the peppers but your house will smell delicious. Think of it as modern day tea time- only with drinks and dip rather than tea and crumpets.  It's Fat and Happy time.

Tips and Techniques:  Serve with a crusty bread, almonds and hunks of pecorino cheese. Use the leftovers as spread on sandwiches.

Lemon Yellow Pepper Dip

1 can White beans (Northern, Navy or Kidney)
2 yellow peppers
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small shallot, sliced
Olive oil
1 lemon, zested
handful of parsley
fresh ground black pepper
salt

Cut peppers in half, clean out seeds.  Drizzle olive oil on the peppers, roast in the oven until the skin blackens (about 20 minutes if under the broiler). Half way though roasting, add the garlic and shallots to the pan, drizzle with a little olive oil.  Remove from oven, remove skins from peppers and roughly chop

Place the peppers, garlic, shallots and beans in a food processor, pulse a few times.  Add in the handful of parsley, the zest from the lemon along with 1 tbls of the juice.  Turn the processor on and drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.  Add salt and pepper to taste.