Healthy food fast: a new twist to an old fave

By Sari Huhtala

The tanginess of pickled beets, combined with the earthy freshness of an avocado and the richness of garlicky hummus creates a party in your mouth that is surprisingly good and insanely good for you.

I know it sounds like an odd combination, but thinking outside of the chickpea-only hummus box brings hummus to a new level, and even those who aren’t crazy about beets find themselves begging for more.

This idea is a spin-off of inspiring holistic nutritionist, author and friend, Kathy Smart’s happy hormone avo toast recipe. I tweaked it a little to suit my healthy food-fast lifestyle, and made it that much easier to whip up.

In short, simply scoop about ½ cup hummus in a bowl. Add one avocado and mash. Then add one medium size pickled beet and mash. Blend well. Store in covered bowl in fridge.

Note: If beet is too firm, toss in Magic Bullet or blender and blend, then add to hummus.

If you enjoy the tanginess of beets, add more than just one, or if more hummus is preferred then adjust to tastebuds.

Enjoy with crackers, veggies, tortilla chips or homemade bread.

Basic homemade hummus

Making homemade hummus is easy peasy, and once you begin, then store bought hummus just won’t cut it any more. While tahini (ground sesame seeds) adds a fabulous nutritional punch to hummus, it is possible to make it without tahini, and most days I do.

I also purchase dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rather than canned chickpeas for recipes. I soak the dry beans in water for several hours. Then drain and rinse and cook in pot full of water until soft – approximately two hours. I package them into small quantities and place into the freezer for an easy grab and go addition to meals, or for hummus.

Basic homemade hummus ingredients

You will need a food processor or quality blender to make the hummus.

• 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice (I buy bottles of organic lemon juice so that I always have some on hand)
• 4-6 tbsp olive oil (add more depending on desired consistency)
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2-4 cloves garlic, or to taste
• Optional: Add 1 tsp cumin
• Optional: Add 2 tbsp tahini

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or high-quality blender, and store in covered container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Sari Huhtala is the publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine. She has over 25 years experience in journalism. She is a mother of 3 adult children, and has spent over 20 years navigating a healthy path for her family, one health hack at a time, as a single mom feeding her kids healthy on a shoestring budget. She also has over 15 years experience as a certified fitness specialist and personal trainer, 10 years experience as a reiki practitioner; she studied Shamanism and is currently completing her yoga teacher training certification.