Butternutty Hummus
- 1 small butternut squash (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil divided (enough to toss squash, reserving some to drizzle for presentation)
- 3/4 cup rinsed and drained canned garbanzo beans
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Garnishes: Reserved toasted sesame oil for drizzling, parsley, whole garbanzo beans and toasted black and white sesame seeds.
- Pita bread
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel squash. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and cut squash into 2-inch chunks, or you can purchase the squash peeled and chopped. Keeping the chunks approximately the same size assures even roasting. Toss squash with toasted sesame oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast uncovered until squash has browned a little and is very tender (about an hour). Let cool. You should have about 3 cups cooked squash. While squash is roasting, heat the coriander, salt, cinnamon and cayenne briefly in a small, dry pan until fragrant. Allow the spices to cool. In a food processor, process the garbanzo beans until coarsely chopped. Add the cooled, roasted squash, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper, and process until smooth. Serve hummus drizzled lightly with sesame oil, and garnished with parsley, whole garbanzo beans and toasted black and white sesame seeds. Use torn pita for scooping the dip.
Submitted by Elysa Boffo, Camp Hill