I’ve had some interest from my readers about hummus lately, so I began experimenting a bit and created a homemade Butternut Hummus that is quite good! First of all, hummus is amazing. If you’re trying to lose weight or just eat healthy, it’s a great way to add “mayo-ness” to sandwiches and wraps without the mayo. It’s also great for dipping veggie sticks into, as opposed to fatty ranch dressing. My affinity for homemade hummus, as opposed to store-bought hummus, mainly has to to with my ability to control the amount of added fat. For example, the leading brand of hummus at my favorite grocery store has 8 grams of fat in 2 Tbsp of hummus! Whoa! I don’t know about you, but I never just eat just two tablespoons of anything, let alone hummus…

Butternut and hummus might seem like an odd combination, but they go together really well. The butternut sweetens the hummus and the the ginger and nutmeg make this hummus a great accompaniment for dried fruits and nuts, turkey and chicken, as well as baby greens. So, the next time you begin reaching for the mayo, think, “this could be better with homemade hummus!”

Butternut Hummus

Servings: 8

Prep Time:  15 minutes    Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 C fresh, cubed butternut squash
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp tahini
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Place your cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and coat with 2 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil.

2. Cut the top off of your head of garlic, wrap it in foil, and place it on the baking sheet.

3. Bake the butternut squash and the garlic at 350º F for 40 minutes, flipping the squash every 10 minutes. You should end up with approximately 2 cups of soft butternut squash that is lightly browned, but not crunchy. Once cooked, allow the squash and garlic to cool before making your hummus.

4. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, cooked butternut squash, lemon juice, tahini, ginger, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic. To get to the fresh, roasted garlic, simply squeeze it out of the head of garlic like toothpaste.

5. Process your ingredients until you have a creamy hummus. Garnish with a sprinkle of olive oil and nutmeg.

Butternut Hummus

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Butternut Hummus is a naturally sweetened hummus that's a great accompaniment for dried fruits and nuts, turkey and chicken, as well as baby greens.

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Ingredients

• 5 1/2 C fresh, cubed butternut squash
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp tahini
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Place your cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and coat with 2 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil.
2. Cut the top off of your head of garlic, wrap it in foil, and place it on the baking sheet.
3. Bake the butternut squash and the garlic at 350º F for 40 minutes, flipping the squash every 10 minutes. You should end up with approximately 2 cups of soft butternut squash that is lightly browned, but not crunchy. Once cooked, allow the squash and garlic to cool before making your hummus.
4. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, cooked butternut squash, lemon juice, tahini, ginger, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic. To get to the fresh, roasted garlic, simply squeeze it out of the head of garlic like toothpaste.
5. Process your ingredients until you have a creamy hummus. Garnish with a sprinkle of olive oil and nutmeg.