Hong Kong was hit by it’s worst typhoon in a long time today. The Philippines had the brunt of Mangkhut long before we did, and much worse than we did.

Despite all of the warnings, and the precautions people tried to take, windows have been smashed, property damaged and lost, and flooding has occurred throughout the region. I’ve been very fortunate in that my flat is in a sheltered area, where there isn’t enough space for winds to build momentum or cause much damage. Instead, I’ve just had non-stop pelting rain and loud gusts of wind every now and then.

I’d planned for this day since Wednesday, knowing that we would have the typhoon this weekend, but not knowing what time it would hit and when it would be at it’s strongest. So, I made sure I bought food and was stocked up for a day indoors.

All set to make a few sauces that I’ve been dying to try, as well as get some prep done for lunch for the week. And then, half way through 2 different sauces … my gas bottle ran out. I live in an old building, and my landlord has informed me that due to fire regulations, there isn’t a way to attach my hobs to the main gas line. Instead, I have a tank under my hobs that supplies my gas. Until it runs out. And that was today. The one day I know that I won’t be able to get anyone to come and replace it with a new one, and the one day that I could really do with the ability to cook.

Having said that, I’m extremely fortunate that my hot water is powered by an electric heater, I have an oven also powered by electricity, and I still have power. I am not suffering, I can postpone sauce making for another day.

So, instead I made food that didn’t require heating up in a pan, and ate food that I had already made. Today’s recipe in one such food. I’d made it on Thursday, have roasted peppers and stored them in olive oil the previous weekend. I love roasting and then storing peppers that I know won’t survive if I go away for a day or two. It’s a great way to ensure there is no food wastage.

I’ve always loved roasted red pepper hummus when I see it in the shops, but they are not all created equal. Some are extremely sweet, some don’t taste of red peppers at all, and others are beautifully perfect. Ever since I made the roasted beetroot hummus and carrot hummus back in June, I’ve been wanting to try more flavours of hummus.

In a moment of fate/coincidence, I found myself with too many red peppers and not enough time to use them all. So, to the roasting tin they went. Then, after steaming and peeling the skins off, the peppers went into a jar with some olive oil to keep them from going off.

A few days later, when it was time for hummus, the peppers came out and discovered their purpose in life. Now, I can say with certainty that this will be a massive hit if you make it, because I’ve had 5 people try it and they all loved it. So, trust me, you should make this hummus and devour it.

Ingredients

2 roasted red peppers
1 roasted yellow pepper
1 can drained chickpeas
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
5 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon harissa powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
water (can be reserved from the chickpeas)
olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts

1. In a food processor, add the peppers, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, harissa, paprika and lemon juice. Blend well.
2. Add water as needed to loosen up the mixture.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and blend further.
4. Taste and see if any seasoning is required. Add if necessary.
5. Blitz until smooth.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl.
7. Toast pine nuts in a pan over a high heat for 2 minutes or until starting to brown. Sprinkle over the hummus and drizzle with a little olive oil.
8. Enjoy with crisps, pita bread or crudites.