Smoky Little Devils

Recipe by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn
from The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook
Posted February 2017 with permission

These tiny stuffed potatoes are absolutely beautiful, and, oh so delicious as hors d'oeuvres or the center part of a meal. Be sure the potatoes are tiny. And remember to hold back! Don't eat them all before your guests arrive!

Makes 24 Little Devils

Ingredients:

12 small red potatoes (roughly the size of large walnuts or small clementines)
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large cloves garlic
3-1/2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to taste
1-1/2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional; we do not use it)
1 cup chopped green onions (4 to 5)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
Zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
1 green onion, finely sliced, for garnish
Baby kale leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Set a steamer insert in a saucepan and add about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat; then place the potatoes in the steamer basket and steam for about 20 minutes.

To make hummus, in a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, pepper to taste, salt (if using) and 2 tablespoons water, and process until uniformly smooth. In a small bowl, stir together the hummus, 1 cup of chopped green onions (hold back the last green onion for garnish), Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and turmeric.

When the potatoes have finished boiling, plunge them into cold water in a big bowl or just run cold water over them. Slice each potato in half. With the small end of a melon-baller or a small spoon, scoop out a hole in the center. (Save the little scooped-out potato balls to put into a salad or just pop them into your mouth!) Fill each hole with Green Onion Hummus. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. It is easiest to take a tiny bit between your fingers and sprinkle just enough for the color to show. Garnish with green onions or, for a really fun look, use a tiny baby kale leaf as a "sail" in each little potato "boat."

(The recipe above combines three recipes from pages 102, 103, and 132 of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook. The Little Smoky Devils recipe uses as an ingredient the Green Onion Hummus, which in turn uses the Our Hummus recipe.)