Recipe: Beetroot Hummus Monsters
Beetroot Hummus Monsters
•Nut free •Dairy free •Egg free •Gluten free
You can obviously choose to make the hummus and use it in a different way or buy hummus and make the monsters or make the lot. This recipe is super flexible (you can really play around with the ingredients and flavours) so you can have fun without any stress.
GOLDEN RULE: remember not to stress about whether your Adventurous Eater tries any hummus or not - exposing them to new foods is a huge win in itself so keep the pressure off and let them explore in whichever way they are ready.
TOP TIP: hummus freezes really well. We often freeze in ice cube trays so we can pop out portions as and when needed.
INGREDIENTS
For the hummus:
2 medium beetroots (you can also use pre-cooked, vacuum-packed or even leave out altogether!)
1 can chickpeas (430g)
1 clove garlic (optional)
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons tahini
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
For the monsters:
Get creative and use whatever you have/fancy……. For the pic above we used:
Jacob’s cream crackers
Pre-sliced black olives (bought in a jar from any supermarket)
Carrots, crinkle cut, grated or spiralised are fun
Cucumber
Blueberries
METHOD
For the hummus:
Cook the beetroots. You can boil or bake them - they taste way better baked in my opinion! To do this; cut of the tops, scrub (no need to peel yet) and wrap in foil. Cook in the oven at 190C until tender (approx 50 - 60 minutes depending on size). Allow to cool, peel and cut into thick slices. (You can also use pre-cooked vacuum packed beetroot - it tastes nice albeit not AS nice).
Blend the beetroot, chickpeas and garlic until ground.
Add all remaining hummus ingredients and blend until creamy. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more tahini/water
Taste and add more salt/cumin/olive oil/lemon juice if you like.
To make Hummus Monsters
Get creative with whatever you have in the fridge/cupboards.
EXTRA IDEAS
Hummus is great as a snack on crackers/with crudites (raw vegetable sticks), as an appetiser or as a sandwich filling. It can also be mixed through pasta as a sauce alternative.
Don’t forget that the greens at the top of beetroots are also a wonderful source of nutrients. They can be cooked and eaten in the same way as spinach.
There really is no limit to the range of options available when experimenting with making hummus. If you start with the base of chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon you can try adding a whole variety of different flavours.
So, be brave, be bold and create your own beautiful flavour combinations.
