Roasted Beet Hummus

 

Roasted Beet Hummus

4 medium sized beets or 8 baby beets, roasted
2-15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic micro-minced
3 heaping tablespoons tahini (may substitute almond or cashew butter)
1 lemon zested and juice of the lemon
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup water to aid blending
(I didn't use chickpea liquid due to preservatives in the liquid).
salt and pepper to taste
chips, crackers or pita bread for dipping into hummus

You may cut this recipe in half. Be prepared to spend most of the day making this recipe. What with baking the beets, removing their skins, peeling the chickpeas, and then the topper was stirring a new can of tahini till it was smooth. The sesame oil rises to the top. It takes a strong hand to blend it, all the while being careful not spill any of it out of the can. Yikes!

Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim beet roots and stems leaving at least an inch on either end so all the beet juices don't leak out. Wash beets to remove soil and pat dry. Place beets in aluminum foil and generously salt them, then wrap beets in packs of two to four or more depending upon the size of the beets. Place on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. (Trust me you need the second layer of foil. Bake for 25 to 45 minutes till knife inserted in beet slides in easily. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. When beets are cool, cut the rest of the root and stems off, and just peel off the skins; skins come off easily. I use mechanics gloves when working with beets. (I get gloves at the auto parts store, they run small so I get the medium size, they are less expensive and sturdier than hospital style gloves). Chop beets into medium small pieces. 

Drain and rinse chickpeas in warm water. To peel chickpea skins I just took the drained chickpeas and pinched gently and the skins came right off. It is a bit tedious but I think it's worth it. If you leave the skins on, the hummus may be gritty and nobody like gritty hummus.

Put the liquids in the bottom of a blender first, then garlic, lemon peel, and spices, Next add the beets and last the chickpeas and tahini. Blend till smooth. You may use a food processor if you choose. Hummus will keep covered in refrigerator for 5 days. You can also freeze the hummus. To freeze put hummus in a freezer safe container three quarters full and top with a bit of olive oil to keep hummus from drying out.

Garnish with some chopped fresh herbs and perhaps some pine nuts. I was so worn out I just put it in two containers to serve another day. One I will freeze. It did taste quite delicious and color is striking.