Beet Hummus

I had this beet hummus at a wedding recently, and thought it was interesting enough to merit attempting at home.  It was served alongside two other hummus recipes - a pea hummus, and traditional hummus.  Very impressive presentation.  This is just for the one, but it's so good that it can stand on its own.  Pea hummus to follow some time soon.

Beet Hummus

• 1 pound beets (about 2 medium sized beets), scrubbed
• 3 tbsp tahini sesame seed paste
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 2 lemons)
• Generous pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

To cook the beets, cut off any tops, scrub the roots clean, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast in a 375 °F oven put until easily penetrated with a knife or fork, about 45 minutes to an hour. Alternatively, cover with water in a saucepan and simmer until tender, about 30-45 minutes depending on size.  If in a hurry like me, immediately plunge into an ice bath and peel while in the water.  Otherwise, peel once they have cooled.

Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired.  Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Eat with pita chips, sliced vegetables like cucumber, or on crostini.

Spinach Salad with Roasted Beets and Bacon Vinaigrette

I found a version of this online somewhere, and modified ratios slightly to get the proportions I wanted.  The result was delicious, and although distinctly non-vegetarian, it was a very hearty salad.  If you haven't tried roasted beets before, I highly recommend giving this dish a shot as your first taste of them.  And if you don't like them, hey, at least there's bacon!

Roasted beets are delicious, and the golden ones look pretty cool too

Spinach and Beet Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnuts

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 3 as a main course

• 2 large beets
• 8 cups spinach
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
• ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 5 ounces bacon, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
• 2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and trim beets then wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil.  Roast the beets until a knife slides through, about 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size.  Once cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and cut into a ¾” dice.  Place in a bowl and set aside with the spinach, goat cheese, and hazelnuts.

To roast beets, just trim the ends, wrap in foil, and bake.  Then peel them once cooled slightly.

Cube into whatever size you like

Cook the bacon in a small sauté pan over medium heat in a bit of the olive oil until the bacon has rendered its fat and is slightly crisp.  Remove bacon to a plate and pour off all but 2 tbsp of bacon fat from the pan, then add the remaining olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Whisk lightly to incorporate and continue to heat the oils lightly.  Toss the beets with a bit of the dressing and then the spinach, making sure you place all of the bacon on the spinach.  You may not need all the dressing – don’t use too much, or this will have a greasy feel to it.  Serve on individual plates with spinach first, topped with the beets, crumbled goat cheese, and hazelnuts.