Inspired by the coming sun, this golden appetizer will wow your guests with its slightly sweet taste, creamy texture, and numerous health benefits.
I had the pleasure of finding beautiful, organic, orange carrots this week at the local farmers market. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, fiber, and anti-oxidants like beta-carotene. They are delicious, can be eaten raw, or prepared multiple ways like adding into a hummus to deliver a gorgeous yellow appetizer!
Let’s start with defining the main nutrients that make carrots so beneficial,
Vitamin A can come in many forms, one is retinol. The way vitamin A is categorized is into retinol activity equivalents (RAE) as a way of measurement. A family story I heard growing up said that eating carrots is good for eye health. This is true! In short, that is because parts of the eye, such as the retina use vitamin A and carotenoids for maintaining good eyesight.
Vitamin A is amazing and essential for everyone’s health. It is helpful for many other body processes like bone development, cell growth, and improved immunity. It can be found in most animal products, fortified cereals, and in plant-based foods that contain carotenoids.
The next main nutrient in carrots is Beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is apart of a group called carotenoids. Carotenoids are anti-oxidants! The main health benefit of Beta-carotenes is they are a natural way to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can be from mental and physical stress put on the body. It can impact the body negatively and contribute to weight gain, inflammation, and high blood sugars. Eating red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotenes can be crucial to the body’s recovery and maintenance of good health.
How much should one eat? What are the recommended dietary allowance’s? For females 18 and older, your body requires around 700 mcg RAE per day. Men in the same age group require about 900 mcg RAE/day.
To put those numbers in perspective, 1 large raw carrot contains around 601 mcg RAE of Vitamin A, and also contains thousands of beta-carotenes, according to the latest data from USDA. Incorporating carrots into your diet can be an easy and effective way of contributing to your daily recommended vitamin allowance, and improve your health all around!
Now on to the recipe....
Ingredients:
- 3 large carrots
- 1 Can chickpeas
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ t baking powder
- ½ Tbsp Fresh rosemary (or dried)
- ½ Tbsp cumin
- 2 Tbsp ice cold water
- 1 Tbsp Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- *roasted sunflower seeds
Steps:
- Open the can of chickpeas and drain. Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot and add the chickpeas. Add in baking soda and bring them to a boil for 20 minutes (This softens them up tremendously and can change your hummus texture forever!).
- Wash and peel three large carrots, chop into coin-shaped 1 inch pieces. This should come out to around 2 ½ - 3 cups.
- Pre-heat oven to 400. Place peeled garlic cloves and carrots into a baking tray or 9x13 pan. Coat in 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, rosemary, and smoked paprika. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, removing the skins and disposing them. They should come off very easily or have already come during boiling, set aside. Remove carrots from the oven and set aside.
- Combine in blender or food processor: chickpeas, roasted carrots, tahini, 1 Tbsp oil, salt to taste and blend. Slowly add in cold water until mixture is creamy and blending nicely without chunks.
- Serve and *optionally top with roasted sunflower seeds, and additional fresh olive oil. Enjoy with raw vegetables or bread of choice.
References:
Fooddata Central Search Results. FoodData Central. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170393/nutrients
Stepnick GSA, Smith JL, Carr TP. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, Inc.; 2018.
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