Roasted Beet Hummus

Roasted Beet Hummus recipe

Photo Credit: PhillyVoice.com, 2017

 

Did you know that the very food known as “Hummus” was derived from the Arabic  word meaning “chickpeas”, and the complete name of the prepared spread in Arabic is ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna which means “chickpeas with tahini”.  Hummus is basically  a Levantine dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas or a mixture of other beans, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.  It is popular in the Middle East and in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe. It can also be found in most grocery stores anywhere in the world.

The chickpeas used in hummus make it high in fiber, protein and iron, and when lemon is added, offers your body a boost of vitamin C and antioxidants. What’s more, a thick spread of hummus will never threaten your waistline, but tahini has been known to be anti-inflammatory and lower cholesterol.

Yes, you can buy hummus at just about any local grocery store these days, but it so much better if you make for yourself at home and so easy to do as you can follow this recipe basic recipe with a few tips from Inspired Taste.

For some people, hummus is like the comic relief at an awkward dinner party. Everybody’s yearning for it, and it’s a universal pleaser. This light, savory snack is the perfect hors d’oeuvre as it  slides smoothly onto your chip, pita, pretzel, bagel, carrot or cucumber slices and rarely leaves a mess. And it is perfect for Super Bowl Parties

But for a change of pace, we switched it up a little to liven up a party in presenting this quick and easy roasted beet hummus which is a light, savory snack that will make your mouth pop with flavor.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 medium roasted beet, cooled, peeled, and quartered (Directions Follows)
One 15-ounce, can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dash salt and pepper
Water, to thin as needed
Optional spices: dried sage, cumin, paprika

Directions:
In a food processor, blend roasted beet until smooth. Add remaining ingredients to blend, reserving olive oil and water. Drizzle in olive oil while hummus is blending. If too thick, thin out with water until you have the desired consistency.

Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, as needed.

Place in a bowl and serve with vegetables , crackers or whole grain pitas of your choice.

Directions for Roasting Beets
 Option 1 
1. Preheat oven to 400 º F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. If buying whole beets with stem, remove leaves and stalk.
3. Peel beets and dice.
4. Lay on baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried sage.
5. Cover baking sheet with foil and bake beets for 1 hour or until tender.

Option 2
1. Preheat oven to 425 º F.
2. Scrub, wash, and remove leaves/stalk from beets.
3. Place whole beets on aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and salt.
4. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

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Chocolate Beet Cake

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This cake is chocolate heaven, even  for those who are  self-proclaimed beet-haters! A marvelous cake that is so  moist and delicious, who would have ever known that the secret ingredient just happened to be red beets! It’s a great recipe to sneak in a few veggies for children who will ask for a second piece, because it’s just that good.

 

Serves 16 to 20, depending on how thick the slice

Ingredients:
3 or 4 medium  red beets
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 ¾ cups packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

For the icing:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
4  1/2 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softemed
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
beet juice (left over from above)
4 ounces dark chocolate – melted

 

Directions:
Cook the beets: in a saucepan, cover beets with water and boil 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the skin, quarter the beets and puree them in food processor with a little bit of the water they cooked in. You should end up with 2 cups of pureed cooked beets. Reserve  the beet juice of for the icing.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt pan or tube pan with oil and dust with flour.

Combine the chocolate and oil in a Pyrex liquid measuring cup. Microwave on the defrost setting just until the chocolate melts. Note: Using a double boiler is the traditional way to melt chocolate is a microwave is not handy.

Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the oil and chocolate mixture, beets, and vanilla.

Whisk the flours and stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until the flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool on the rack.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing. In a medium bowl, add the Neufchâtel cheese and sugar and stir in the milk and the vanilla.Divide the icing in half and place the reserved icing in a second bowl. With the other half of the icing, add 1 to 2 tablespoons a beet juice to the icing. Note: the icing may be thickened with confectioners’ sugar or thinned with milk or the beet juice. Drizzle the white icing onto the cake and allow it to set, followed by the beet icing. Drizzle with the melted dark chocolate. Slice and serve individually on dessert plates.

 

Cook’s Notes:
If you want to forego without the dramatic icing and chocolate drizzles, just simply dust the cake with confectioners’  sugar.

beet cake

 

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Beet Soup with Crispy Potato Croutons

 

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A gorgeous, healthy, and very tasty beet soup that is elegant, yet simple to make. Beets and sauteed onions and garlic simmer in vegetable stock before being finished with a swirl of coconut milk. Velvety smooth, impress your guests with this soup as a first course, as it t goes great with crusty bread and champagne.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
For the Potato Croutons:
2  /2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

For the Beet Soup:
2 Tablespoons olive  oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt, to  taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2½ pounds beets, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
Juice of 1 lemon
One 13-ounce can of coconut milk
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
Sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
For the Potato Croutons:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of water, add the vinegar and salt to taste and boil until very soft. Drain the potatoes, and return them to the saucepan. Holding the lid on tightly, shake the pan to fluff up the edges of the potatoes.

Transfer the potatoes to a baking tray, and toss in a generous amount of  olive oil. Spread them out into a single layer. Season with salt,black pepper thyme and toss to coat.

Roast the potatoes for about 25 minutes, then turn each piece of potato over. Return to the oven for  another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the Beet Soup:
Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beets and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then add the stock.

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook until the vegetables are fully soft and tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Add the lemon juice  the coconut milk and purée with a blender.Blend until smooth – if you find th too thick at this point then add water until you reached your desired consistency.Taste and adjust the seasoning,with salt and pepper.

Place the soup into a saucepan and let it heat up to the perfect eating temperature.

To serve, pour the soup into bowls and sprinkle each bowl with the roast potato croutons.

Garnished with the  dill or scallions, if desired.

The soup can be served cold as well. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.

 

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TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor