Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Asiago Baked Hummus with Caramelized Onions, Black Garlic & Rosemary for the Better Homes and Gardens Recipe Insiders Group

When a batch of recipes for the Better Homes and Gardens Recipe Insiders Group showed up in my inbox recently, this baked hummus number piqued my curiosity. While I have had warm hummus on wraps or in sandwiches, I've never had it baked - and with cheese! I like those words: "with cheese." Don't you?

That said, I did feel compelled to Trixify this just a pinch. The original called for both olive oil and sesame oil, but I subbed tahini for the sesame oil fearing that it would feel too ... um, oily ... otherwise. The BHG recipe also wanted just one measly garlic clove, and as you may imagine I quadrupled it. Instead of water I used the liquid from the chick pea can. Finally, I wanted to up the acid, so I added both lemon juice and 2 whole heads of black garlic, which lends a subtle sweetness to the overall dish.

As I know from several months of working in a Middle Eastern(ish) cafe, making hummus is not rocket science. And while a restaurant needs to have a recipe that's set in stone in order to maintain consistency, those of us at home are free to taste and tweak as we go until it's perfect. That's what I did here, so please keep in mind that the amounts are up for interpretation by your taste buds.

Baked Asiago Hummus with Caramelized Onions, Black Garlic, and Rosemary
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of sugar
2 15 ounce cans chick peas, rinsed and patted dry
3-4 tablespoons liquid from a can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon tahini, plus more as needed
4-5 cloves garlic
2 heads black garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese, plus extra for topping
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, cook the onions in the butter and olive oil over low heat. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar, and stir occasionally until caramelized - 20 - 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a food processor, combine the chick peas, liquid, tahini, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, and cheese. While whizzing, drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust for flavor. Divide the mixture into 6 ramekins (or you could use a small casserole). Top with the onions and more grated Asiago and bake until brown and bubbly. 

The BHG recipe suggests serving with baguette slices and carrots, but instead of having this as an appetizer I made homemade pita, tzatziki, and falafel (the falafel was from a box mix, I cannot tell a lie) and made dinner out of it. I did find that the hummus tasted best once it had cooled slightly. 

Easy peasy. And a perverse part of me really likes taking something healthy and low calorie like hummus and adding cheese to it! Oh well. Just eat less of it, you'll be fine. 





19 comments:

  1. Yeah, you Trixified it just a pinch, right. But oh so necessary to do with hummus so I can't fault you. And such small dishes. Surely you could just put them all in one dish, cover in cheese, and give to me with a loaf of bread, right? Yes, that is how I would prefer it.

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  2. You made me swooooon! This sounds so good! Mwah sweetie.

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  3. I am so stuck in my ways and only think of hummus with pita bread in a certain way. Putting cheese in with it is a real stretch, isn't it? All that lovely garlic appeals in a big way.. can you still put it on bread or is it like a tiny casserole???

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  4. What is black garlic pray tell?!?!?!?!? This looks awesome! Love the complexity and sophistication! :D

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  5. Love this most unusual hummus - the flavors must just pop.

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  6. Oh baked and with cheese, nice. Love your trixifications. I have yet to come across this black garlic, hope I find some soon. Love your resulting dish.

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  7. "with cheese" is definitely one of my favorite phrases. I love the thought of this baked...it sounds like perfection.

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  8. This really takes hummus to a whole new level. Cheese and caramelized onions are a welcome addition in my book. It does look tasty-yum!

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  9. Nice...I like your twists, but then again, I always do! Theresa

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  10. This really is a keeper. This is my first visit to your blog, so I spent some time browsing through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great evening. Blessings...Mary

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  11. I've missed coming over here too, and I KNOW that I've missed out on a lot of good stuff - good, Trixified stuff! Boy, you really upped the ante with this hummus, it's fabulous and just so you know, anything that ends with "with cheese" does it for me as well :).

    So glad I'm free to blog and surf again - missed you, girlie!

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  12. This is so delightful! Love it when you "Trixify" a dish :)

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  13. Interesting and delicious looking Trixification of a dish using hummus with cheese, why not! It sounds delicious!

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  14. I never would have thought to bake hummus! This looks so amazing. Cannot wait to try it!

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  15. This looks amazing. I love your tweaks to the recipe.

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  16. This looks absolutely amazing. Never thought of baking hummus before, but will give it a shot now.

    http://manwomaneatveg.wordpress.com/

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  17. Yum, yum, yum. I love this idea!

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