Isn’t it peculiar how sometimes we perceive the direction of our lives to be mandated by a fortune cookie, horoscope, a face-up penny or a ‘sign’ like 1:11pm or or knocking on wood? The list can be seemingly endless. I can’t tell you how many tunnel wishes I’ve made over the years- saving those wishes for the REALLY BIG moments when I thought maybe I just might get lucky.
I am a firm believer in the concept that we make our own destiny. I think the point is this, to quote my Uncle Bill (who recently shared this quote from Dudley Ott), “People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.” And I take that a step further and remind myself, that how good or bad we perceive our life to be boils down to how much good we can find in each day…when things get challenging … finding the good in each hour tips the scale of life back into focus.
That’s not to say that I don’t think life can throw us a few curve balls, or that I haven’t thought how unfair it was to loose a loved one, have a big accident, succumb to financial difficulties, loose a job or be diagnosed with an illness. I know life can and does all of the above. I know that when put to their limits people can loose sight of their humanity just as easily as people can demonstrate tremendous acts of kindness. Life is surprising and it is mysterious.
These days I percolate a lot on life and poke at it from every direction. Deep thoughts abound and then I remind myself that I am really here to chat about food. I have been struggling on the food front, not because I don’t have a kajillion recipes to share, but because I am lacking the time to enjoy being here, with you, my guilty pleasure. After having been off of work for over three months, getting back to my normal every day life is not so easy. This recipe is in my new colorful treasure trove of yummy nibbles. I graze a lot more than I sit down to full meals these days. And I’ve always been a fan of appetizers. I love trying bites of different foods vs committing to a big meal.
Cannellini hummus is where the heart is. Add a bit of beetroot to the mixture and ho-hum hummus gets a facelift with this vibrant lovely crimson color and earthy flavors that will blow your mind. Beetroot hummus is as healthy as it is pretty. The super creamy texture features tahini, lemon, garlic and takes on Italian undertones by using cannellini beans as well as showcasing an Indian flair.
Serve this colorful hummus slathered on toast with a fried egg for breakfast, as a dip and add a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts, or in a bowl with quinoa, avocado, cucumber and roasted vegetables.
Note: to have the creamiest texture it is best to soak and cook your own beans, however in this rushed world we live in it may be easier to use canned beans.
Beetroot Not-So-Ho-Hummus
Ingredients
2 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed (or 4 cups cooked cannellini beans)
2 whole cooked beets (or 1 can beets, drained)
2 cloves garlic
½ yellow onion
2 TBS olive oil, plus extra to drizzle on top
1/3 cup tahini
1 ½ tsps ground cumin
2 TBS lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
If using dried beans, rinse and sort them. Allow to soak the night before in cold water. The next day bring to a gentle boil for 1-2 hours, depending on the desired firmness. Once cooked, drain and allow to cool.
Prepare the beets if using fresh or look for pre-cooked beets in the produce
department. To cook, preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on the baking sheet and roast 30 – 40 minutes, or until the beets are fork-tender.
When cool enough to handle, peel the beet skins under running water using your hands. Quarter the beets and set aside.
Combine beans and olive oil into a blender or food processor and mix until it forms a paste. Add in remaining ingredients and blend until well combined and smooth. If needed, stop the food processor a few times to scrape down the sides and then puree again. If mixture is too thick add in additional olive oil or a scant amount of water (1-2 TBS at a time).
Chill until ready to use.
Beautiful!