Here goes nothing; I present to you the first ever savoury One Perfect Mess recipe! I love to cook just as much as I love to bake (gasp), and after briefly surveying those loyal friends who read this little blog, I have decided to brave the unknown and see if you have any interest in something a little different! I am an absolute hummus fiend; spread on toast with eggs, dolloped on salads, smeared on a burger, dipped into by carrot sticks… It’s so easy to make and such a substantial but humble little dish.
It perfectly lends itself to versatility, like in this Roasted Beetroot and Garlic Version. With aromatic and earthy tones and the most irresistibly vibrant colour, this hummus is an instantly impressive dish to serve the masses. I have paired it with an ingenious partner; Seed Crackers garnished with addictive rosemary salt. My legendary Aunty always has a big old jar of these crackers in her kitchen, and they are one of her most applaudable life successes. All it takes is soaking a bunch of seeds in water, spreading them out over a tray, and baking until crisp. And that rosemary salt is good enough to lick off the plate. Shamelessly.
Oh and before I forget, this whole dish is gluten free, dairy free, vegan and vegetarian friendly. So you won’t have any unsatisfied eaters! Whip up this creation to take as a contribution to your next dinner party, or serve it up to family and friends this Christmas!
Roasted Beetroot and Garlic Hummus with Rosemary Seed Crackers
ROASTED BEETROOT AND GARLIC HUMMUS, adapted from an Amina Elshafei recipe that I received from Aunty H
Makes 2-3 cups
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 320 g beetroot
- 2 cloves garlic, left in skins
- 265 g cooked chickpeas (1 x 400g tin, drained)
- 125 mL olive oil
- 80 mL lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
- 90 g tahini
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F fan-forced. Cut the whole beetroot into quarters, then bake in a covered dish for 45 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic, still in its skins, after the first 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to touch, then peel the skins off the beetroot and garlic.
- Blitz all ingredients in a food processor on high speed until very smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add a little extra olive oil to taste.
- Refrigerate to firm the hummus slightly, then serve.
Store hummus covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
ROSEMARY SEED CRACKERS, adapted from this recipe and Aunty B’s
Makes about 24 crackers
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 sprigs of rosemary (1/4 cup), very finely chopped
- 15 g salt flakes
- 65 g sunflower seeds (1/2 cup)
- 75 g pumpkin seeds (pepitas) (1/2 cup)
- 35 g poppy seeds (1/4 cup)
- 30 g sesame seeds (1/4 cup)
- 35 g flaxseed/linseed (1/4 cup)
- 45 g chia seeds (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 cup water
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F fan-forced. Gently combine the rosemary and salt flakes in a small bowl, and leave to infuse. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Stir gently and leave to soak for 15 minutes, until the seeds have absorbed all of the water.
- Spread the mixture over a lined 40 x 30 cm baking tray, so that it is very thin (about 5 mm). If necessary, use two smaller trays so that the crackers are thin. Use a rubber spatula to make sure there are no holes, and to smooth the surface. Sprinkle evenly with the rosemary salt flakes.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and slice into rectangles. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Leave to cool, then snap into crackers and serve!
Store the crackers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
one perfect mess 
Oh wow that colour, may be making this then😉
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I know right?! It makes it all the more fun to eat!
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Fab! Love a great savoury dish, especially one that looks this vibrant. As much as I treasure all your sweet offerings, and have cranberries out on the bench to do the recent cookies, I always prefer savoury. In fact made a very similar seed cracker two days ago to have with smoked trout on Christmas Eve. Can’t wait to try yours with no flour. A really satisfying snack …
Merry Christmas!
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So fantastic to hear Claire! I’ll definitely be posting a few savouries recipes from now on, they are just as satisfying to make and more practical to eat on a daily basis 😉 Hope those cookies turn out well, they are a favourite of mine! Merry Christmas to you too!
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