Beets and I have been having a moment lately. Ever since I made that roast beet and citrus salad a few weeks ago, I haven’t been able to get enough of their earthy sweetness.

There’s a restaurant near us that makes a beet hummus appetizer that I’m pretty much obsessed with. I can’t go there and not order it. Since it’s the kind of place that changes their menu every few months, I knew I had to recreate it at home.

My version is definitely a winner – I might actually like it a teeny tiny bit better than theirs. I might have shed a few tears of joy the first time I tasted it.

How to make beet hummus:

For this beet hummus, you only need a few ingredients: chickpeas, beets, feta, walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil and honey. The ingredients work together to make a dip that’s earthy, sweet, salty, and insanely creamy.

Roast beets give the hummus a deeper flavor, but if you don’t feel like messing with them you can totally use precooked beets. The steamed ones from the produce section are great, but I’ve also used canned beets with a lot of success.

Add everything to your blender or food processor and blend everything together with a little water to thin it out. I use my Vitamix, and I swear it makes my hummus extra smooth.

Pour the hummus into a bowl, drizzle it with a little extra honey and feta if you’re feeling sassy, and dig in! You’re going to love it.

What to eat it with? A spoon works just fine, for starters. I’d by lying if I told you I’ve never stood in the kitchen shoveling this hummus into my mouth. But if you want to be a little more civilized, you can eat it on flatbread, crackers, or even cucumber rounds. You can also use it as a sand

wich spread (it’s amazing with turkey on a hearty grain bread) or dollop it onto a salad.

Give it a try and let me know your favorite way to eat it!

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Creamy Beet Hummus with Walnuts and Feta

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 127kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 can 15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 roast beets sliced (or 1 15 ounce can sliced beets, drained)
• ¼ cup walnut halves
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ⅓ cup to 1/2 cup water
• Additional feta and honey for topping if desired

Instructions

• Add the chickpeas, beets, walnuts, feta, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/3 cup water to a blender.
• Turn the blender on and gradually increase the speed to high, adding additional water as needed. Blend on high 1 minute, or until creamy.
• Pour the hummus into a serving dish. Drizzle with honey and top with additional feta, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 187mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g

I’ve been thinking about Superbowl recipes for weeks. It’s funny how excited I get, considering I’m not really into the game itself. I just love the excuse to get together with friends and family, eat great food, and watch the halftime show.

One of my favorite local restaurants serves an appetizer of hummus topped with merguez, feta, and mint. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to find a place for it on our game day table. I’m super excited to be partnering with Sabra again this year to bring you this tasty recipe!

I’ve been all about flatbreads as an easy weeknight meal lately, and the flavors in that appetizer translated perfectly. Plus hummus flatbreads are the perfect game day food – I love that they’re a little more substantial than the typical snacks that we have, so I actually feel like I’ve eaten a real meal.

I’ve written about my love of merguez before. It’s a super flavorful lamb sausage that works really well in simple recipes like this one.

Sabra’s classic hummus makes a great “sauce” for these flatbreads, since it’s mild flavor and creamy texture balances out the sausage really well. (Plus, if you’ve never eaten warm hummus before, you’re missing out!) I season mine with a little bit of za’atar to jazz it up, but you can also use oregano.

These merguez and hummus flatbreads are also really easy to make and you can even prepare them ahead of time and pop them into the oven when you’re ready to eat – so if you are into the game, you’ll only miss a few minutes.

If you’re as big of a fan of Sabra products as I am, you know they have a habit of jumping into your grocery cart. Be sure to check out their Buy, Snap, Score promotion – buy Sabra and Stacy’s together before 2/15/16 and score a $5 gift card. It’s basically free money! (Also, if you see their new caramelized onion and smoked paprika hummus, buy it!! I’m obsessed – it’s amazing!)

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Merguez and Hummus Flatbread

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• ½ pound merguez lamb sausage
• 4 naan flatbreads 3 ounces each
• 8 Tablespoons Sabra classic hummus
• 1 teaspoon za'atar
• ½ cup crumbled feta
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 400ºF.
• Remove the casing from the merguez and discard. Crumble the sausage into a pan set over medium high heat. Sauté until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Drain.
• Arrange the flatbreads on a baking sheet. Spread each flatbread with 2 tablespoons hummus; season with za'atar. Top with cooked merguez and feta.
• Bake 13-15 minutes, or until the flatbreads are crisp and golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and top with mint.

It’s still warm outside, but I can tell that fall is on its way – the days are getting already shorter and all of a sudden I’m craving apples and chai and feeling the urge to bake. Since I know I’ll be loading up on fall treats soon enough, I’ve been making an effort to balance things out by squeezing in as many last-minute summer salads as I can.

Classic Cobb salad is always tasty, but with bacon, avocado, and blue cheese, it can leave you feeling weighed down. I made this Middle Eastern inspired Cobb salad for dinner last week, and it felt much lighter – plus the flavors were delicious.

All of the ingredients in this salad are delicious, but the hummus vinaigrette and za’atar pita chips are what makes it extra-special.

The hummus dressing is inspired by a similar vinaigrette that I had after I went rafting in Richmond with Sabra. I started with Sabra’s classic hummus, which is super smooth and has a nice punch of garlic, then thinned it out with lemon juice (you can also use lime juice, like I did for my second batch) and olive oil. I like my dressings on the acidic side, so I also added a generous splash of red wine vinegar to add a little extra brightness. The result is a thick, creamy dressing with tons of flavor.

Since every salad needs a little bit of crunch, I also made some za’atar pita wedges. Simply cut up pita or flatbread, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice blend made with sesame, thyme, and sumac). Then bake until they get nice and crispy. If you have any extras, they’re perfect for snacking on with leftover hummus.

The Middle Eastern Cobb salad is also great since it can be prepped ahead of time, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t need a few superfast dinner options up their sleeve. Go ahead and mix up your dressing, dice the vegetables and cook the chicken and eggplant on the weekend; everything will keep for several day if you pack it up separately in the fridge.(Store the pita wedges in a zip-top bag on the counter, since they get soggy in the fridge.)

You’ll basically have a mini salad bar at your disposal, and you can mix and match ingredients to suit your mood.  In fact, I’ve had it for lunch every day this week!

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Middle Eastern Cobb Salad with Hummus Vinaigrette

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced small
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic optional
• 1 small globe eggplant , diced small
• 8 cups chopped romaine hearts
• 1 cucumber diced small
• 2 to matoes diced small (about 1/2 cup)
• ½ small red onion diced small (about 1/4 cup)
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
• 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
• Hummus vinaigrette below
• Za'atar pita wedges below

For the hummus vinaigrette

• ½ cup Sabra classic hummus
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 lemons or limes juiced
• up to 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt

For the pita wedges

• 2 small whole wheat pitas
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon za'atar

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Add the eggplant to the pan and sauté 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
• Place the romaine in a large serving bowl. Arrange the chicken, eggplant, vegetables, egg, and pita wedges over the top. Serve with hummus vinaigrette.

To make the vinaigrette:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the hummus, oil, and citrus juice. Season to taste with salt and vinegar.
• To make the pita wedges
• Heat the oven to 400ºF.
• Cut the each pita into 8 wedges and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with za'atar. Bake 6-8 minutes, or until toasted.

I created this recipe for my client, Sabra. As a Sabra Tastemaker, I’ll be sharing recipes featuring hummus throughout the year. As always, thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen!

Hungry for more hummus recipes? Try my Spicy Chipotle Hummus Pasta, Mayo-Free Potato Salad or Lemon Twist Blondies!

There are only a few weeks of my culinary program left, and I’m in major catch-up mode. I managed to keep somewhat on top of the reading and quizzes, but I’m woefully behind on the practical exercises. This week, I’ve been tackling some of the earlier tasks that I skipped (I figured they were basic and wouldn’t take long… and they wouldn’t have if I had actually done then when I was supposed to instead of trying to cram a whole bunch of them into one afternoon). That meant a lot of chopping, blanching, and roasting, without an actual recipe as the end-goal.

Of course, I wasn’t going to let all of those vegetables go to waste just because I didn’t have a plan for them! By adding some lemon juice and marcona almonds to my cauliflower while it roasted and then tossing it with lemon zest, pomegranate arils, and parsley, I was able to transform my “practice” into an easy and delicious recipe. It’s delicious as a side (try it will grilled flank steak or a piece of fish) but it also makes a great main dish if you serve it over steamed couscous.

I really love the bright, juicy burst of flavor the the pomeranate arils add to this cauliflower. I’ve been working with BloomFresh to create some recipes with their new ready-to-eat pomegranate arils, so I’ve had a ton of them in my fridge. I’ve been adding them to practically everything, but this cauliflower is one of my favorites. The arils are hand-packed in convenient containers without any preservatives, additives, or residues, eliminating the need to mess with whole pomegranates (plus they include a spoon for easy snacking!) They take a ton of frustration out of eating pomegranate.

I used marcona almonds for this because I love their soft texture and slightly sweet flavor – in a recipe as simple as this one, they really make a big difference. If you can’t find them, feel free to substitute regular almond halves.

(I also have to share the best secret to perfect roast vegetables that I learned: don’t use too much oil. I’ll admit that I can be a lazy cook and frequently just throw my vegetables onto a baking sheet and drizzle oil over the top. That still tastes good, but the vegetables mostly end up steaming and don’t get those beautifully browned bits that goof roast vegetables should have. Instead, take the extra minute to mix everything up in a bowl, then use your hands to lift the vegetables out and onto the pan, leaving the extra oil in the bottom of the bowl. The vegetables will get a better coating of oil that way, but it will be lighter. That means the vegetables will lightly “fry” in the oil without all of that extra moisture steaming them, so they’ll brown a lot easier. Plus, you’ll be eating way less fat which is also a plus!)

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Roast Cauliflower with Lemon, Almonds + Pomegranate

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets (about 6 cups)
• scant 1/4 cup almonds preferably marcona roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced and zested
• ⅓ cup BloomFresh pomegranate arils
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Heat oven to 450ºF.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with almonds, oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Bake 20-30 minutes, or until tender and golden.
• Remove from the oven and toss with lemon zest, pomegranate arils, and parsley.

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If you’re looking for more pomegranate goodness, be sure to check out Mother Thyme’s Pomegranate Blondies and Skinny Chef’s Quinoa Chicken Tenders with Pomegranate Pumpkin Seed Dipping Sauce.

I created this recipe for my client, BloomFresh, who is also generously providing the giveaway prizes. As always, thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen. 

Next time there’s snow in the forecast, forget about running to the store for milk and bread – this lentil soup is all you need. It’s ridiculously good and really easy to make. With the exception of merguez, which can easily be swapped out for Italian sausage, the ingredients are all staples that I always have on hand.

Merguez is a North African sausage made out of beef or lamb mixed with warm spices like cumin and Harissa. It’s packed full of flavor and is typically served grilled, but it’s also amazing in omelets and soups like this one. It can be hard to find, so when I see it I like to pick up a few extra packages for the freezer. (You can also make homemade merguez; skip the casing if you only plan to use it for this soup.)

I took inspiration from the flavors of the sausage and seasoned this soup with garlic, cumin, and coriander, which give more depth to the flavor of the broth. The last minute addition of kale balances out the soup’s richness and adds a touch of freshness, while a drizzle of vinegar brightens it up.

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Lentil and Kale Soup with Merguez

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 349kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces merguez or Italian sausage crumbled
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs finely chopped
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon roasted ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon roasted ground coriander
• 1 cup lentils
• 28 ounces chopped tomatoes in puree
• 8 cups water
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pan set over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, and garlic; cook until the onions are soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spiced and cook 1 minute.
• Ad the lentils, tomatoes, and water. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Season with salt, to taste. Stir in the kale and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 1.8g | Fiber: 15.7g

 More Lentil Recipes that are perfect for winter:

Roasted Eggplant and Lentil Soup

Slow Cooker Lentil and Pumpkin Chili

Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

Let’s go on a picnic! The theme of this week’s Sunday Supper is one of my very favorites. For as long as I can remember, picnics have been a huge part of my summers. When I was a kid, we packed a picnic every week and went to free concerts on the lawn of some of the old mansions along the Hudson River. It was always one of the highlights of my week.

One of my most memorable Fourth of July’s was when I was living in DC. We  headed away from the crowds on the Mall and brought a picnic to Wolf Trap, where we listened to the NSO and watched fireworks. It was fantastic.

Now, we try to make it out the Tanglewood to listen to the BSO at least a few times every summer. And yes, we always pack a picnic. It’s just the thing to do.

The tabbouli salad is one of my favorite things to bring along. It holds up well (it doesn’t get soggy like green salads) and it tastes even better at room temperature than it does chilled. It’s full of ingredients that always taste great when you’re out in the hot sun, like cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, and lemons. Scattered throughout the salad are marcona almonds – one of the most delicious nuts I’ve ever come across. They’re pricy, but well worth the splurge (I’ve found that most stores have them, but they’re not by the other nuts so they can be tricky to find – look for them by the “fancy” cheeses or near the olive bar.)

Kale and Quinoa Tabbouli works on it’s own as the main component of your meal, but it’s also great served on the side of falafel (shown above, recipe to come soon) or even with a sandwich.

Basically, it’s perfect.

Yeah, so remember how I said all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch with a blanket? Apparently it’s not because it’s fall… it’s because I’m sick! Ugh. I have a terrible cold – the worst one I’ve had in years. Three of the last four meals I’ve eaten have been soup. Luckily, I have a big pot of this roasted eggplant and lentil soup in the fridge, so all I have to do is heat it up (which is about all I have the energy for right now).

This soup is just want I need though. It’s rich, earthy, and slightly spicy, with a subtle Middle Eastern flavor from roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and ras el hanout. A dollop of coconut yogurt finishes it off and balances out the spiciness.

Also? It’s incredibly good. Like “Shawn was rambling on and on about his day and had to stop mid-sentence to tell me how good it was” good. (Does that make me sound lie a grouch? Whatever I’m sick. It’s allowed.)

I’ve been exploring some of the different yogurt options lately after discovering that the brand I thought I liked best really wasn’t that great compared to others. I’m still in the process of deciding what my favorite is (and I have a feeling that I might have different favorites for different flavors) but this time I used Yoplait Greek and I liked it a lot (disclosure, they paid me to create this recipe).

Some coconut yogurts taste really artificial (like coconut flavoring) or too much like a pina colada. This one actually reminds me of the flavor of shredded coconut, which I love and it’s not overly sweet, so it worked in this savory dish.  It also has a great, creamy texture and a peek at the ingredients list showed that there’s no gelatin in it which makes me really happy (gelatin in yogurt is a huge pet peeve of mine!) I can’t wait to give the tangerine flavor a try – how amazing does that sound?

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Roasted Eggplant and Lentil Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 2 small eggplants quartered
• 3 plum tomatoes quartered
• 4 garlic cloves peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 carrots peeled and diced
• 1 leek sliced
• 2 celery ribs finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 ½ cups lentils
• 2 tablespoons ras el hanout
• 1 lemon juiced
• ¼ cup parsley chopped
• 1 container Yoplait Greek blended coconut yogurt

Instructions

• Heat oven to 450ºF. Arrange the eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 20 minutes or until very tender. Scoop the pulp out of the eggplant and discard the peel. Chop the tomatoes and garlic to form a chunky sauce.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the carrot, leek and celery and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the chicken stock, water, lentils, and ras el hanout. Cover and let simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in the eggplant, chopped tomatoes and lemon juice and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in parsley. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Serve soup topped with a generous dollop of coconut yogurt (or just stir it right into the whole pot).

A few months ago, carrot hummus seemed to be everywhere. It intrigued me, but it stayed on my “things to make” list for far too long. Even after thoroughly enjoying it as an appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants and exclaiming that I really needed to make it at home… I just never got around to it.

But I went back a few weeks ago, and the menu had changed with the seasons. No more carrot hummus. What a tragedy! It all turned out for the best though, because I was finally forced to take matters into my own hands and make it myself. Now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. It’s cheap, only takes a few minutes to make, and is the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

I’ve seen a few recipes for carrot hummus that don’t include chickpeas: this isn’t one of them. I wanted a more traditional hummus, with just a hint of earthy sweetness from the carrots. The carrot flavor is less intense that way, which means the dip can be enjoyed on pita chips and on carrot sticks (probably not a way you’d want to eat a dip made entirely of carrots). As an added bonus, using both ingredients means you’ll get a wider variety of nutrients – plenty protein and fiber from the chickpeas and loads of vitamin A from the carrots.

I based this recipe very loosely on the hummus in Jerusalem: The Cookbook. I bought this book a few weeks ago and pretty much haven’t put it down. It’s absolutely beautiful and, with the exception of the chopped liver, I want to make every single recipe. We had the conchiglie with yogurt, peas, & chili the other night; it was unlike anything I’ve ever had. I ate way too much, and gave myself a pretty serious stomachache. I can’t wait to cook from it some more!

All that to say, don’t be surprised if you see a lot more Middle Eastern and North African cooking around here – I’m totally obsessed! (I’m also currently obsessed with Korean food. So random, but so good.)

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Moroccan Spiced Carrot Hummus

Carrots add an earthy sweetness to this twist on hummus. I seasoned mine with ras el hanout, a Morrocan spice blend that's loaded with warm flavors like cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. The resulting dip is richly spiced, but not at all "hot." For a hotter variation, substitute harissa for the ras el hanout.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 4 Carrots peeled and cut into coins (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 16 ounce can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
• ¼ cup Tahini
• 1 Lemon juiced
• 4 cloves Garlic minced
• 6 Tablespoons Very Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil plus more for serving
• 1 Tablespoon Ras El Hanout

Instructions

• Add the carrots to a small saucepan and cover with water. Boil about 10 minutes or until very soft – you should be able to mash them easily with the back of a spoon. Drain and let cool.
• Pour the chickpeas onto a kitchen towel. Cover with another towel; rub vigorously to loosen the skins. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and cover with water – the skin will float to the top; give the chickpeas a good stir to loosen any additional skin and repeat. Skim off the skins and discard them.
• Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a food processor or blender. Add the carrots; process 30-40 seconds or until they form a thick paste. With the motor running, drizzle in the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Process until combined. Drizzle in the water and process 5 minutes, or until a smooth dip is formed. Add the olive oil and ras el hanout and pulse a few times to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• To serve, transfer to a small dish and drizzle with additional olive oil.

Notes

Look for tahini, a smooth paste made from sesame seeds, in either the natural aisle of your grocery store or in the International aisle, near the Jewish foods.