Roasted Beet Hummus

This is a fun twist on the traditional hummus! The light sweetness of roasted beets taste great in this chickpea based dip. When serving hummus, try different toppings like crumbled feta, chopped scallions, chopped herbs, or caramelized onions.

From a health perspective, what I love about hummus is that it has more nutrients compared to many other traditional dips. This is largely thanks to the chickpeas, which are the base of hummus because they provide key nutrients including: dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Roasted Beet Hummus (Image Source: iStock)

Roasted Beet Hummus
Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 small roasted beet*
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, mostly drained
1 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 – 3 tsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

*or purchase roasted beets in the produce section of the grocery store (e.g. Love Beets)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F 2. Prepare roasted beets: remove the stem, most of the root from your beets, peel and scrub and wash them underwater until clean. Wrap beets in foil, drizzle lightly with olive oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until tender. Cool beets to room temperature.

3. Combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestion: Serve with chopped vegetables or whole grain pita.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 74 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium, 7 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 2 grams protein

Roasted Beet + Cauliflower Fall Salad

Fall Salads are the best!

Roasted Beet + Cauliflower Fall Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

2 medium beets beets, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces)*

2 cups cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/4 cup Biena Snacks Sea Salt Chickpeas

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (shells removed)

Salad dressing of choice

*Short on time? Try Love Beets - all you will have to do is cube them up! They will be ready to go. Look for them in the produce section of the grocery store.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place the cubed beets on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap up the beets into a packet and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, until the beets are tender.

3. Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and lightly browned.

4. To assemble the salads - divide the lettuce among two serving bowls. Divide the toppings evenly among the salad: roasted beets, roasted cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, and sunflower seeds. Finish with your salad dressing of choice (my go to is balsamic vinaigrette!)!

I Love Beets!

I love beets! They are truly a favorite. Plus they are loaded with nutrition benefits. Specifically beets are rich in nitrates, betaine, and the B-vitamin folate; these nutrients in beets can help your health in many ways!

Nitrates in your body are converted into nitric oxide which helps to relax and dilate blood vessels which in turn can boost blood flow. Betaine (a plant compound found in beets and other foods) has been shown to protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, and enhance performance. While folate helps to drive down levels of homocysteine in the blood, which can reduce the risk for artery damage and heart disease. 

When you are short on time to peel and cook beets, Love Beets has you covered with packages of cooked, ready to eat beets (pictured above). Look for them in a refrigerated area of the produce section of the grocery store. Also look for delicious baby beets too in flavors like honey + ginger and sweet chili. 

Check out this delicious Greek Cucumber Beet Salad recipe (See below) and some other favorite picks like: Beet and Salmon Nicoise Salad, Strawberry Rhubarb Beet Scones, or Beet Caprese Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing. 

Note: This isn't a sponsored post, just products I love! 

Photo from LoveBeets.com 

Greek Cucumber Beet Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced (2 cups)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, thinly sliced (1-½ cups)

1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced

1 ripe (but firm) avocado, peeled and diced

1 (8.8-ounce) package Love Beets Cooked Beets, chopped

⅓ cup fresh feta cheese, cubed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1-½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Add the first 8 ingredients to a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the remaining 5 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss everything together until well-coated. Taste the salad for flavor and add more sea salt and/or vinegar to taste.

Click here to visit Love Beets.com for more recipes and information.

References:

Betaine in Human Nutrition, http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/3/539.full, Accessed August 15, 2017

Homocystine Lowering with Folic Acid and B Vitamins in Vascular Disease, http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa060900#t=article, Accessed August 15, 2017