#boiled beets

Fury roams a conscious heart:

A sudden flick of thought escapes

And through--the woven falls apart--

The branches, fury escalades

Until it reaches fingertips--

Now swollen red like boiled beets--

Into a fist, a fleeting whip,

Then back to cool from hasty heat.

I have wanted to make my own beet hummus for forever. Already a huge fan of homemade regular hummus, I had a feeling beet hummus would be just as delicious...maybe even better. You guys, I have no idea what took me so long to get this stunning dip whipped together. Probably for the simple reason that it is just so easy to make, it never made it to the top of my "priority" recipe list. Who knows? Whatever the reason, big mistake. BIG. As soon as I took a taste I couldn't stop taking just one more taste. Smooth, creamy, fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness from the beets.

And, of course, let's not forget the most important part- it's bright PINK!

No, seriously, there is something about eating a food this color that just makes me instantly happy.

In unrelated food news, season 3 of Catastrophe will be on Prime on the 28th. YOU GUYS! Have you seen that show? If you haven't, stop what you're doing and go watch it right now. It is probably the most hilarious show I have watched in, well, a really long time.Sharon (the main female role) and I are like the same person. She has no friends, she says exactly what she's thinking and she loves wine. Ok, if you haven't seen the show you're probably like, umm, ok? But seriously, Sharon and I, bffs.

Unfortunately, she is a fictional character.

Anyway, beet hummus. Do it.

Beet Hummus

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Yield: 8 servings Category: Appetizer, Entertaining, Healthy, Kid Approved!, Sauce + Dip, Vegetarian

Ingredients

2-3 medium cooked beets (see how to easily cook beets here) 1 (15 ounce) can cooked chickpeas, drained Zest of one large lemon Juice from one lemon Salt + Pepper, to taste 3 cloves garlic, minced 4-5 tablespoons tahini (plus more if desired) 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

Add the beets to the bowl of a large food processor. Process until small little bits remain.

Add the remaining ingredients (except the olive oil) to the bowl and process until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula if necessary. Add the olive oil and pulse again until fully incorporated. Taste and season as needed (I usually like to add extra tahini).

Serve with veggies, pita bread, on sandwiches, pizza, etc.

I didn't start eating beets until my mother-in-law introduced them to me about 5 years ago. She asked if I wanted to try one and, not wanting to be rude, I said, "Umm, obviously! I mean, how could I not..."

You guys, I had some pretty serious preconceived ideas about this root; none of it good. First, I thought they would be hard and crunchy and, probably most important, I thought they would taste like dirt. They just came out of the dirt, after all. In fact, I think I see some dirt still on that beet up there. But I was being ridiculous. Why? because carrots also come from dirt (along with a bajillion other delicious foods) and I love carrots.

So, let me clear something up right now- assuming you have cooked your beets- both of these assumptions are totally FALSE! I have yet to try raw beets (I have no idea what's taking me so long), so I'll have to get back to you on that.

Anyway, it was crazy, amazing love at first bite. Since then I have been a beet eating machine.

I will give you the same warning, however, that my mother-in-law gave me- beets, especially red beets, stain. If you eat a lot of red beets in one sitting, don't freak out if your #2 is red the next day. I (can almost) promise that you are not dying. It is just the beets. In fact, think of it this way- at least you know your body is working :)

For a really long time I would buy pre-cooked beets from Costco or Trader Joe's because it was easy and convenient, and because I had no idea how to cook them myself. You guys, don't be like me. Despite their rough exterior, beets are super easy to cook. And imagine all the resources wasted going into shipping and packaging those itty bitty beets the market sells. While there are several ways to cook them yourself, today I'm sharing how to BOIL these bad boys. It's so easy, you'll never look at beets the same way again!

How to Cook Beets (boiled)

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 30-45 minutes Total Time: 35-50 minutes Yield: Varies Category: How to, Side Dishes + Vegetables, Vegetarian, Snacks  

Ingredients

Beets (I prepared a big batch of golden beets and red beets- approximately 6 each- try to find beets that are approximately the same size)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (if using two different varieties of beets- for example, red and golden beets- you will need two separate pots of boiling water).

Leave the skin on, but remove the long stalks and leafy greens from each beet (the stalks and greens are edible, so save those if you're feeling creative!). Once water is boiling, carefully add beets and allow them to cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until fork tender and skin is easily removed (cooking time will depend on the size of your beets).

Meanwhile, as the beets are boiling, prepare a large ice bath by filling a large bowl with water and ice. Set aside.

When beets have finished cooking, carefully remove from the boiling water and transfer to the ice bath. Allow the beets to cool for a few minutes before removing the skin using your hands (this should be easy!).

Rinse each beet in cool water, slice and eat! Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.