My very cool sister lived in Jerusalem for five years. We visited her twice—once when Willem was a very tiny baby. Traveling 18 hours via airplane is something many people do very well and often, but it didn’t go that well for us with a little human we couldn’t reason with. Willem was fussy the entire flight, and I couldn’t even enjoy my free international-flight booze!
After we landed in Tel Aviv, drove through the grey olive and green cypress-lined roads, my sweet sister Laura greeted us with a feast of the BEST hummus with fresh pita. Meals after all-night flights (and the coffee accompanying them) are the best in my life, and this was no exception. Although her hummus was not hot pink, mine is—and I love it! This recipe makes plenty, so I share it with the kids’ teachers and friends en masse. I don’t miss the garlic taste, but you could add 1 to 2 small minced cloves for more flavor.
This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Hot Pink Beet Hummus
(Makes approximately 4 cups. May not sound like a full meal, but paired with lots of raw veg and some crackers, it's my perfect dinner.)
2 large red beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 cans (14 ounces each) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon more salt
3/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
Preheat the oven to 400 (on roast setting if you have a convection beast like mine).
Wash 2 large beets, then place them on a 12 x 18 inch (ish) sheet of aluminum foil. Cover beets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Wrap foil to cover beets completely and seal the ends to make a nice foil envelope for roasting.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork can puncture foil and beet easily. This is the point where I put on some of my husband Dan’s dental gloves to avoid a pink manicure.
Cool beets a bit (or flush under cool water) and place on a cutting board. Cut skin off beets, slicing off top and bottom of the beets as well. Wash again to get the extra salt off of the beets and to clean them again.
Place beets in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, salt, and tahini. Blend 30 seconds to mix. Slowly add water through the spout on top of the food processor. Blend on high speed for FIVE MINUTES—that’s right, 5 minutes!—until smooth, stopping once to scrape sides of the food processor.
Serve with fresh cut carrots, cucumbers, and celery. You can also top the hummus with olive oil and garnish with sesame seeds if you have some!
Find more great food recipes in my second book, Lark Parties! #livinglark
