BEET HUMMUS

Cut the greens off the beet, leaving about 1-2” of the stems attached to the root (reserve the greens for another use).  Place the beet in a large saucepan and cover it with water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the beet is very tender when pierced with a knife.  Drain and cover with cold water.  When the beet is cool enough to handle rub the skin off under cold running water.  Rough chop and place in the bowl of a food processor along with the remaining hummus ingredients.  Process for 2 minutes until smooth, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides with a spatula.  If you like the hummus a little thinner, add a few tablespoons of water until you reach desired thickness.

Place the hummus in a serving bowl and garnish with the sesame seeds, pistachios, lemon zest, and mint. Serve with the fresh raw veggies and pita chips for dipping.  This hummus also delicious as a sandwich spread, on crostini, or served as a puree with seafood, chicken, or beef!

HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS

4 pita breads

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cover a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Cut the pita breads into 4 pieces and then cut each piece in half, for a total of 8 triangles from each pita.  Place them in a large bowl.

Whisk the olive oil and Italian seasoning together.  Drizzle it over the pita triangles and toss with your hands until they are all lightly coated.  Place them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and season with the salt.

Bake for 5-7 minutes until golden and toasty.  Let them cool and store in a ziplock bag on the counter for up to 1 week.