Murray and I just returned from a week in Phoenix. He was there for work, so we decided to go together for an extra few days and see the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, due to the US Federal government shutdown, the Grand Canyon was closed. Instead, we took the opportunity to visit some lesser known attractions, like the Sedona Red Rock Mountains. There is an old saying in Phoenix that “God created the Grand Canyon, but he lives in Sedona.” One trip to Sedona and you know it has to be true. As we drove through the picturesque mountains, we gasped at the view at every turn, always looking for a spot to pull off and take a few pictures. Eventually, we had to keep driving or it would be dark. On our way back to Phoenix, we took an inadvertent detour to Jerome, and drove through a very high and windy mountain road. Once again, the views were spectacular and somewhat daunting as we careened around sharp turns on narrow roads with sheer cliffs.
While in Phoenix we stayed at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, a AAA Four Diamond resort. I highly recommend this resort and it is now one of my favorites. It was designed to be an authentic representation of the Gila River Indian Community’s heritage and culture. The architecture, design, art and legends of the native tribes were included in many details, indoors and out. Our room had original native art. The restaurants featured Native American cuisine. With each meal, we were served a spicy black bean hummus with very thin homemade sesame crackers. Our waiter was kind enough to share the general ingredients for the hummus. At home I tried my own version. It is not exactly the same, but I am pleased with the result, with the exception of chipotle. I used 1 tablespoon. Too much heat for my liking, so reduced this recipe to half that.
Sonoran Black Bean Hummus
- 2 cups cooked black beans
- 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
- ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Lime juice
- ½ tablespoon chipotle powder (or less, depending on taste)
- 1 tablespoon cumin (or less, depending on taste)
- 3 or 4 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper