Roasted leek and hemp hummus

I led a class about essential fatty acids today. One of the recipes was for an oil free hummus which incorporated hemp seeds as a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.  It was very well received - definitely yummy and healthy.

In addition to the hemp, there were leeks in there too. How many of you cook with leeks?  They seem such an under-utilized member of the allium (onion) family.  Leeks are such a good alternative to onions or shallots, especially as they are much easier to prepare and don't cause tears. Why don't we use them more? We should try to eat something from the allium family every day, so swap things around.  Leeks have that great oniony taste and all the health benefits of onions. Buy some this week and give them a go.  Instead of peeling them, you just slit them in half, lengthways and wash out any dirt that may be between the layers. Then just slice them up and use as you would onions or shallots.  No more crying. :-D

Since we got back from the UK, we've been surrounded by leeks. We had leaks in our water filter with water gushing out everywhere, we've had leaks in our fire sprinkler system, we've had leaks in our community well.  Hopefully, as things come in threes, that will be it...but I got the message and decided it was time for some leek recipes!!

In this recipe, I roasted the leeks in the oven for a while and then added them to the hummus which gave it a great flavor.

Sadly, I forgot to take photos of the finished product and it was eaten up quickly! Anyhow, I'm sure you know what hummus looks like! Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:

1 cup leeks, sliced
Spray Can of coconut oil
1 can/carton of cooked organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup hemp seeds
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove
Pinch black pepper
4 tablespoons water


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C
2. Line a baking sheet/tray and place the chopped leeks on the tray. Spray with a little coconut oil and roast for 20 minutes, checking along the way to make sure they don't burn.  Remove from the oven and let them cool
3. Meanwhile, combine the chickpeas, hemp seeds, lemon juice, garlic clove, pepper and water in a blender.  Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary
4. Add the roasted leeks and puree again.  Depending on how you like your hummus consistency, you may want to add another tablespoon of water. 
5. Cool in the fridge and serve

As well as using this as a dip or on bread or crackers, you can dilute it with non-dairy milk and use it as a sauce for roasted veggies or as a salad dressing.  Once you've tasted it, you'll come up with ways to use it - maybe even eating it straight out of the bowl!

Hope the green and white leeks are the only leeks you get :-D