Cooking By Laptop

it’s Thanksgiving in Canada.

Despite the fact that most of my family lives right here in the Lower Mainland, we’re all busy with our lives and we don’t spend tons of time together. We do usually get together for Thanksgiving, though. It’s an easy, laid-back affair with way too much food, and containers of leftovers coming home.

I usually make a dessert at the request of the famjam, but this year, I want to introduce you to something a bit different.

Now, as you know, chickpeas are my jam. Okay, so chickpea water, technically, is my jam, but you gotta do something with all those cans of chickpeas you’re opening for the aquafaba, so we eat a lot of hummus.

In my cookbook, I have no less than 6 different kinds of hummus. I thought, in fact, that I had discovered all the hummus combinations, but friends, let me tell you, I have not.

Last week, I attended VanFoodster’s very first Vegetarian Tasting Plates. I have written a whole post about what I discovered on that food tour, but one of the places we visited was called Saj & Co (on Davie) and there, we were served a roasted butternut squash hummus! It was fantastic–brightened with a touch of turmeric.

So of course I came home and started roasting squash to make it.

It’s an incredibly pretty dish, and the squash adds a creaminess and a sweetness that I think would make it an incredible appetizer for your Thanksgiving table.

I served mine with super-simple-to-make za’atar crackers.

Roasted Squash Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, drained, reserve the aquafaba
• 1 1/2 cups cubed roasted squash (I actually used a kobucha, but I think anything will do, butternut, acorn, etc)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup aquafaba
• salt & pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• optional garnishes: pepitas, balsamic reduction, olive oil, fresh herbs, smoked paprika, za’atar.

Method

1. Cut the squash in half and dig out the seeds with a spoon. Chop into larger chunks, then drizzle all over with olive oil, and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven until soft, about 30 minutes (depending on the size of the squash).
2. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough so you can work with it. Remove the skins, and chop into chunks.
3. In your blender or food processor, place all the ingredients, except for the water.
4. Blend well until the mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.
5. With the blender running, slowly drizzle the water into the top of the blender or food processor. If the hummus is still too thick, add a bit more water, or olive oil if you like until it gets to the right creamy consistency.
6. To make the crackers: take two large tortillas and brush them with a little oil. Sprinkle with za’atar and then cut into strips. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 300 degree oven until crisp and a little brown around the edges.
7. To serve: ladle the hummus onto the centre of a plate, and scatter the crackers around. garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of coarse salt, and a few dots of balsamic reduction.