Name: Roasted Beet Root with Chickpeas Dip
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 beet root (whole, head trimmed off, washed and dried); 1 ½ cups Chickpeas (drained, rinsed and dried); ¼ cup Roma Tomatoes (washed, deseeded and diced small); 1 tsp Garlic (diced or paste); ¼ cup Onion (peeled, washed, dried, diced small); 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds (ground or powder); ½ cup Yogurt-fat free; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; ¼ cup Water; Cooking Oil Spray; 16 Whole Wheat Saltine Crackers; 4 Carrots (whole, peeled, washed and cut into rounds or sticks)

1 beet root (whole, head trimmed off, washed and dried)

1 ½ cups Chickpeas (drained, rinsed and dried)

¼ cup Roma Tomatoes (washed, deseeded and diced small)

1 tsp Garlic (diced or paste)

¼ cup Onion (peeled, washed, dried, diced small)

2 tbsp Sesame Seeds (ground or powder)

½ cup Yogurt-fat free

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

¼ cup Water

Cooking Oil Spray

16 Whole Wheat Saltine Crackers

4 Carrots (whole, peeled, washed and cut into rounds or sticks)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wrap the beet root in a piece of foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender.Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, peel the skin and dice small.

In a small nonstick skillet, over a medium-low heat, spray cooking spray evenly for 2 seconds.

Add cumin seeds and let sizzle for about 1 minute; add beet root and sauté for 2- 3 minutes; remove from heat. Let cool.

In a food processor, add chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, onion, sesame seeds, yogurt and water. Puree until smooth. If it is too thick, add additional water as needed.

Pour pureed mixture into a serving bowl and add the sautéed diced beet root.

Serve with whole wheat crackers and carrot chips.

Enjoy!