RECIPE: Beetroot hummous with pumpkin crispbread

In the run up to silly season, we’re always looking for ways to sneak some health onto the menu. What better place to turn, then, than the new party-food book from the gems behind ‘There’s a Beetroot in my Cake’ – a culinary tome that specialises in smuggling veggies into tasty, kid-centric food. The recipes for ‘There’s a Carrot in my Pinata’ were devised for little mouths but are the perfect addition to any holiday table, we reckon – and they look bloomin’ beautiful to boot. Here’s to long lunches and slow summer living – bon appetit!

Pumpkin Crispbread

Makes 24 little squares.

Ingredients

150 g (⅔ cups) pumpkin, steamed and mashed

equates to one large wedge of a medium pumpkin

60 g (¾ cup) rolled quinoa

75 g (½ cup) pumpkin seeds

25 g (¼ cup) sesame seeds

1 egg

½ tsp salt

Method

Preheat oven to 170 C.

Line a tray with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place the dough onto baking paper and spread out evenly and as thin as possible using the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.

Cut into squares straight after taking the bread out of the oven and allow to cool before eating.

Beetroot hummous

Makes 330 ml (1 ⅓ cups) of dip.

Ingredients

300 g (2 ¼ cups) baby beetroot, roasted

equates to three small beetroot

200 g (1 cup) chickpeas, cooked

juice of one half lemon

1 garlic, crushed

3 tbsp tahini

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Line a tray with parchment paper and lay out beetroot (without skins). Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 – 25 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.

In a high-speed food processor combine all ingredients (except olive oil) until you have a smooth paste. Lastly slowly drizzle oil into dip, mix again and season to taste.

Will keep in the fridge for up to one week.

Recipe extracted from There’s a Carrot in my Pinata by Jennifer Leckey and Judy Moosmueller.