Carrot Hummus

How about another recipe for hummus but this time, with a twist?  If you'll remember, I posted this recipe for hummus last week.  Well, I had some leftover carrots laying around and I thought "surely there's a way to use these that is more interesting than just dipping them in ranch."  Yep, there is!  This is a very interesting hummus recipe that has some of the same flavors you are used to with hummus but it mixes it up too.  Serve with pita and you have a great snack or appetizer!  Enjoy!

Carrot Hummus (adapted from washingtonpost.com)

1 t. cumin seed
1 t. coriander seed
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. honey
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut in 1" chunks
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c. orange juice
3 T. tahini (can also use smooth peanut butter)

Preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a medium roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small dry skillet for about a minute, until just fragrant.  Place the seeds in a small food processor and add 4 T. of the oil and all of the honey.  Pulse until combined and the seeds are broken up.  

Toss the carrots with the spiced oil, garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes, turning once or until the carrots are tender and just starting to char along the edges.  Allow the carrots to cool slightly.

Transfer the carrot mixture to the bowl of a large food processor, scraping all the bits off of the pan into the processor.  Add the lemon juice, orange juice, tahini, remaining 2 T. oil, 1 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle lightly with a little more oil.  

12 servings (109 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com