An evening ago, in our post-dinner dialogue, my roommates and I found ourselves discussing pink. Eventually, as we chatted about buying rose-colored trousers and all the things we love to witness in its warm pigment, we slowed on our appreciation—and mostly lack thereof—of the color during our childhoods. We quieted as we realized how our former distaste for pink interlaced with a mutual fear of femininity.
It’s an odd sensation to consider how society stigmatizes a color and how it can scandalize and embarrass an individual’s love for a simple shade. Yet, despite how ridiculous the phenomenon may appear, a societal aversion to pink prevails, often without contention.
As I’ve stepped out of the frame of my Boston bubble and into an entirely new life, I’ve been working to redefine the dimensions of my desires and discover “who I am.” While I typically run from entertaining such cliché objectives, I’ve chosen to invite and welcome the introspection and appraise my personal authenticity. It’s an objective to discover what I truly enjoy and leap to an occasion where I can finally adore the things I’ve been habitually afraid to embrace. Pink is one of these things.
In recognition of one of my favorite colors and in this trial, I’ve attempted to weave pink into my life when the opportunity arises. As I enjoyed Lebanese mezza the other week and smiled at the pink on my plate, I wanted to recreate the dish to embolden my love for the color. So, without further delay, here’s a roasted beet hummus recipe that promises the perfect magenta hue and delivers pink the respect it’s due.
Ingredients:
3 small cooked beets
1 can chickpeas (15 ounces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup tahini
½ teaspoon honey
Kosher salt to taste
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup parsley
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Remove the stems from the root of your beets and place them in a colander to rinse under cold water. Keep rinsing until the beets are clean—this may take some additional scrubbing. Wrap the beets tightly in foil, drizzle with olive oil, place in the oven, and roast for one hour. Check the beets by inserting a knife in them to make sure they are tender, and then place them in the refrigerator to cool.
Once cooled, peel and chop your beets. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and mince the cloves of garlic. Then combine the chopped beets, chickpeas, garlic, lemon zest and juice, tahini, honey, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Blend the ingredients on the lowest setting, slowly adding the olive oil until the mixture is smooth.
Transfer the hummus into a serving bowl, garnish with fresh parsley, and indulge with warm pita or whatever you desire. Enjoy!
Cover photo courtesy of AmbitiousKitchen
Gusto Journal 