Yummara Muhammara!

     Here is my recipe for Muhammara (see previous post for backstory). I served it again last night at a cocktail party and it was a hit. What I really love about it is that it qualifies as a super food, every ingredient offering life enhancing properties. I also give the nutrition stats at the end, though they were calculated using the recipe from Epicurius which is close enough. This shows what a healthy food it truly is. The rich smoky flavor makes it taste so decadent, I needed proof, and thought you might too. The same site did say that to burn off the 160 calories in a serving you will need to shoot hoops or paint a fence for 33 minutes, so that's something to keep in mind. Since I love Muhammara so much I guess it's a not such a bad thing that my back yard fence is in dire need of attention. Seriously, you could have this dip with fresh syrian bread and sliced cucumbers as it is traditionally eaten, and you've got a wonderful meal. Perfect for a picnic.
     But Muhammara doesn't have to be limited to a dip. It would make an excellent sauce with kebabs, as it would a sandwich spread in place of mayo, and I'm thinking about tossing it with pasta...
     The last three ingredients listed are additions of my own that are not traditional and not necessary. Other additions that are sometimes used depending on the region of origin, that you can play with are; honey, pine nuts, tomato paste and yogurt. The one ingeredient you don't want to play with is the pomegranate molasses. Surprisingly inexpensive, considering it is concentrated pomegranate juice. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it in a good food market.

Ingredients:

2  roasted red peppers
1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 shake crushed red pepper flakes, Aleppo if you can find (more if you like heat)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
chopped fresh parsley and cilantro
tumeric

Toss all into blender and puree for just a couple of minutes.
Should be chunky but not too stiff. Add a bit more oil if needed.
Make a day ahead when possible as the flavor actually improves!

Nutrition Facts on Muhammara (Epicurious' recipe) provided by LIVESTRONG.COM

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving :

Calories 160, Calories from Fat 17
% Daily Value *

Total Fat 1.91g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.21g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.36g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.21g
Sodium 16.49mg 1%
Potassium 338.56mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2.38g 10%
Sugars 4.29g
Protein 5.95g 12%
Vitamin A 0.01
Vitamin C 41.71
Calcium 140.68
Iron 8.29
Vitamin E 0.3
Thiamin (B1) 0.18
Riboflavin (B2) 0.09
Niacin (B3) 0.61
Vitamin B6 47.87
Phosphorus 138.62
Magnesium 28.65
Panthothenic Acid 0.49
Zinc 7.2
Manganese 1.49
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 10.7%  Carbs 77.5%  Protein 14.9%