I believe beet root and orange are a perfect match.
“Instant” version
For the fast version of this dish buy ready-made hummus, vacuum- sealed cooked beet roots and an orange.
In addition, you’ll need olive oil and lemon juice.
Finely grate a beet root and stir into the hummus. It should turn beautifully pink. If not, you’ll need more beet root:). Once you got the color right, grate some orange zest and add a little. Try it. More zest?
If it’s not smooth enough, add some olive oil. Needs a bit of acidity? Squeeze in some lemon and/or orange juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
If you want to make it from scratch:
- 2 small beet roots: boil for about 30 minutes until soft
- 1 can of chickpeas
- tahini
- Olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp of cumin, ground
- Lemon juice
- 1 orange – zest and juice
- Salt and pepper
Fresh mint for garnishDrain the can of chickpeas but reserve the water, you might need it.
Place in a food processor with 3 tbsp each of olive oil and a little water, garlic, cumin and half a teaspoon salt plus 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Blitz until smooth. Adjust the consistency (water from the can, olive oil) and the seasoning.
Grate the beet roots finely. Mix into the hummus. It should be beautifully pink. If it’s not, you’ll need more beet root:). Once you got the color right, grate some orange zest and add it. Try it. If it’s not smooth enough, add some olive oil. Needs a bit of acid? Squeeze in some lemon and orange juice. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic. Decorate with mint. Serve with Za’atar chips.
Za’atar bread
Buy thin Arab flatbread (preferably made only of flour, salt, water, yeast). Cut the bread into chips (think tortilla or potato chip).
Mix plenty of olive oil with lots of za’atar in a big bowl that would hold all the chips – at least 2-3 tbsp. oil and 2 tsp. za’atar per flatbread. Add a handful of chips and mix, add another and mix, until all the chips have been coated with oil and za’atar.
If you add them all at once, it’s more difficult to coat them evenly.
Distribute chips on a baking sheet – they may overlap. Roast them in the oven, any temperature between 350-400 F will work, time will vary according to state of the oven: preheated or not, convection or not….Takes 5 – 15 minutes, make sure all chips are crisp, put those that still are somewhat soft back into the oven.
