Three Little Figs : Roasted Beetroot and Garlic Hummus

My name is Liz and I love snacking. There, I said it. Is that such a crime? Gisele, congratulations for figuring out how to avoid snack time, but I'm human and I need to eat every couple of hours or else I get seriously hangry. My theory is that snacking is actually just keeping people all over the world (and particularly in my immediate vicinity) happier. I do, however, feel awful after I've eaten a really heavy, horrible-for-me snack, and that just makes me angry. Uhh, the struggle is real. Anyhow, for this reason, I'm pretty much always trying to come up with new, relatively healthy and light snacks to avoid driving those around me crazy with my hanger/anger.

This roasted beetroot and garlic hummus is pretty much perfect. It's SO tasty, healthy, and the prettiest pink snack I've ever seen. It's also really easy to make, and so much better than storebought stuff! The only time consuming thing is waiting for the garlic and beets to roast. So this will require just a bit of foresight and planning for when you think you'll want your snack (and therefore I pretty much started making this dish right after my breakfast today...).

To speed up the process, I stuck the beets in the microwave for 4 minutes before roasting. Then, I wrapped the beets and a whole head of garlic (cut in two) in individual foil pouches, and then roasted them for about 35 minutes at 375 degrees F. While waiting for them to cook, I cut up some veggies and toasted some pita (and then got out of the kitchen as fast as possible to avoid pre-snacking before my snack). Once finished, I ran the beets under cold water to cool them down, and this helps the skin come off really easily. The roasted garlic heads are just as easy! All you need to do is squeeze out the garlic from the skin into the food processor. Combine the beets and garlic with one can of washed chickpeas, two tablespoons of tahini, the juice of one and a half lemons, and a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil. I seasoned the hummus with salt and pepper, and then just a pinch of cayenne pepper and a half teaspoon of cumin- you won't really notice these flavours at all while eating it, but they really help elevate the earthy flavour of the beets. Finally, I added a quarter cup of plain Greek yogurt, which can be left out if you've got dietary restrictions, but I find the yogurt adds a bit of creaminess and a tangy flavour to the dip.

The minimal hands-on cooking time for this snack is SO worth the reward afterwards! Whip this up on Sunday and bring it to work for a healthy snack throughout the week, and avoid feelings of starvation or guilt! Enjoy and let me know what you think below!

Roasted Beetroot and Garlic Hummus

Total cook time: 45 minutes

Hands on cook time: 15 minutes

-2 large beets or 3 medium-small, washed

-1 can of chickpeas, rinsed well

-1/4 cup + 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

-Juice of 1 1/2 lemons

-1/4 plain Greek yogurt (optional)

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

-1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper

-Dill or parsley to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. Poke the beets with a fork and place in a bowl in the microwave for 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, leaving some room for air to escape (this avoids beet juice exploding all over your microwave)

3. Wrap the beets individually in small foil packets

4. Slice the full head of garlic in half horizontally, and season each half with a pinch of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Wrap individually in foil packets, and roast with beets in the oven for 35 minutes

5. When finished, remove the beets and garlic from the oven. Run the beets under cold water for 1 minute to cool them down, and then peel off the skin with your fingers or a knife. Add the beets to the food processor, as well as the roasted garlic heads (just squeeze out the garlic from the skin) and olive oil remaining in the foil

6. In the food processor, combine the beets and garlic with the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Add the Greek yogurt once it is fully combined (optional). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed

7. Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh herbs, and serve alongside veggies or pita. Enjoy!