ROASTED BEETROOT HOUMOUS
This roasted beetroot houmous is very easy to make and tastes delicious.
Wrap three medium sized beetroot separately in foil and roast on a roasting tray for approx 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 180 degrees. You need them to be soft in the centre, so do check them.
Once they are cooked peel them (the skin slides off very easily, but it is messy) and chop into pieces and put in a food processor. Add three cloves of garlic crushed, one tablespoon Tahini, one tin of chickpeas (drained and rinsed until the bubbles stop forming), the juice of 1/2 lemon (sometimes you need to use the juice of the other 1/2 but only put 1/2 in first and check consistency and taste) and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Plus a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Whizz until it is combined and creamy. You might need to scrape down the sides of the bowl and whizz again.
Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds and is an extremely good source of calcium. Tahini is also a good source of protein, healthy fats, B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron and zinc.
Beetroot is a source of phytonutrients called betalains and these have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support properties. Beetroot is an excellent source of folate and is high in minerals such as magnesium, potassium and iron. It is also a good source of fibre.
Chickpeas are an extremely good source of fibre and a very good source of protein, folate, copper, phosphorus, iron and zinc.
