Carousing Cucumber Rounds with Rummy Hummus

When people think of vegan food, they often think it is going to contain the stereotypical granola, bean sprouts and tofu. However, there are a lot of plant based dishes that can be deliciously prepared with a splash of alcohol!

Author, John Schlimm "The Tipsy Vegan" Photo credit Steven K

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Carousing Cucumber Rounds with Rummy Hummus Recipe

Recipe courtesy of Da Capo Press.

These little ditties will have you and your guests spinning round, round, round while the good times roll. The crunchy cucumbers cool down the assertive and spicy, lightly rummy hummus, bringing balance and satisfaction to your tummy.

Carousing Cucumber Rounds with Rummy Hummus

Always use locally produced organic indgredients!

Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) can of organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained thoroughly
2 canned organic chipotle peppers, stemmed if necessary, with a teaspoon of the adobo sauce they were canned with (add more peppers, if desired)
1 large organic garlic clove, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh organic lemon juice
3 tablespoons organic tahini (mixed well before measuring)
2 tablespoons organic extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white rum (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 large English (seedless) cucumber
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet just until golden brown

Directions:
In a medium bowl, place the chickpeas, chipotles, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, white rum, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree with an immersion blender, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Or use a standing blender (see note below).

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber skin lengthwise at 1/4-inch intervals to create a striped pattern around the circumference of the cucumber and slice it crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. If the cucumber skin is tough, peel the entire cucumber. Arrange the cucumber discs on a platter.

To assemble, just before serving, lightly salt the cucumber rounds. Top each round with a generous teaspoon of hummus. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Yield: ABOUT 35 HORS D’OEUVRES

Note: Don’t be tempted to use a food processor to make this spread because you won’t get that perfectly smooth texture.