FAST, HEALTHY APPETIZER
After cooking school, I was offered an internship at a Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco. I jumped at the opportunity. On the first day there, the executive chef taught me to make hummus. The training wheels of cooking with recipes were forever removed. I was told to just watch her and taste as we go to create the perfect hummus. I was surprised to see how generous she was with the salt, olive oil and lemon juice. The hummus was the best I had ever had.
To my surprise, I was asked to make the hummus the next day at work. I was nervous but did my best and just focused on my taste buds to carry me through. I was relieved to get a thumbs up. Most hummus recipes in restaurants are way too dry and dull. The creamy texture in this hummus comes from adding a lot of olive oil and the brightness comes from adding more lemon juice than you could ever imagine.
For a modern-day twist, I like to roast a beet and blend it in. While this step is optional, it creates the most gorgeous pink color and is sure to create a pop on any platter. I serve it with veggies or pita chips. Any leftovers I serve on my avocado toast.
Lemony Beet Hummus INGREDIENTS
1 medium red beet 1 tablespoon olive oil 14-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste) 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional as needed
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground pepper Extra-virgin olive (enough to cover)
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss beet in 1tablespoon of olive oil. Put on a parchmentlined sheet pan and roast until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from oven, cool slightly and peel the skin off the beet. Place the beet, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Transfer the hummus into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the hummus mixture and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with pita chips or vegetables.