Roasted Squash Hummus Food

EMBER-ROASTED SQUASH HUMMUS

Steps:

• Place the entire squash in the embers of a medium charcoal and wood fire after you have finished cooking another meal, or set up a small charcoal fire, place the squash on the grill grate rack directly above it, and cover the grill. The squash, depending on its size, will cook in 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. It is done when the skin is charred and the squash deflates a little with light pressure. Let it cool for 20 minutes.
• Cut the squash in half, then scoop out and discard the seeds, being careful not to remove too much of the flesh when you do this. Remove the flesh from the skin-scrape right down to the skin, because that is where all the sweet, awesome smoke flavor is! If some charred flakes get mixed in, that's fine.
• Place the flesh in a food processor. Add the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic if using. Purée the mixture until it is relatively smooth but there are still a few chunks. Season with a few pinches of salt and then, with the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. The mixture will begin to change color as the olive oil is incorporated. After you have added about 1 cup of the oil, stop the machine, scrape down the side, and taste the hummus. If you think it needs a little more salt, then go ahead and add it. The mixture should be thick at this point, close to a mayonnaise in texture. Turn the machine back on and add another cup of oil, then taste again. The hummus should have a balanced, sweet-sour-smoky-rich flavor. If it seems not quite right, or too thick, continue to add as much of the remaining oil as you need to get the right consistency.
• This is best if it is left to chill for a couple of hours before serving, but it can be served right away. Before presenting it to your guests, check the flavor balance one more time and adjust if necessary with more salt and/or lemon juice.
• Spoon the hummus into a large bowl and garnish it with a few gratings of nutmeg using a Microplane or nutmeg grater and a pinch of the pepper. Serve with baguette slices.

ROASTED KABOCHA HUMMUS WITH SPICY CRUNCHY SEEDS

Steps:

• For the squash: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the skin from the squash and cut open down the middle. Scoop out the seeds and reserve for later. Cut each half into eighths. Spread out on a roasting pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• For the spicy seeds: Pour the pepitas on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the granulated garlic, paprika, cayenne and cumin. Mix well and sprinkle over the pepitas. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place both the squash and seeds in the oven. Roast the squash until tender and caramelized around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Roast the seeds until toasted and crunchy, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet so they get extra crispy.
• For the hummus: In a blender, combine the chickpeas with an equal amount (by volume) of the roasted squash pieces. Add the tahini, olive oil, paprika, cumin and garlic. Start the blender on low, then increase the speed, using the blender tamper to push down the ingredients into the blades to get a smooth consistency without having to water down the mixture too much. If you need to, stop and scrape down the sides occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and continue to blend until you have a smooth puree. Add a little water if needed to get the mixture moving.
• Scrape out the hummus and place into a wide serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and fresh parsley and scatter the spicy seeds around the edge. Serve with pita chips or toast points.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss with your hands and spread the squash out in one layer on the pan. Roast for 25 minutes, until tender, and set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of squash for the garnish and transfer the rest to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the chickpeas, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, Sriracha, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and pulse until coarsely processed but not pureed. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid and pulse a few times to combine. If the hummus is too thick, add more liquid a few tablespoons at a time. Taste for seasonings, transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the reserved butternut squash, drizzle with maple syrup, if desired, and serve at room temperature with toasted pita bread.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS WITH SCARY BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets and roast until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. During the last 5 to 10 minutes of the squash roasting, add the cleaned squash seeds to the other prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a large pinch of salt. Roast until puffed and brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let the squash cool slightly.
• Put the garlic in a food processor and process to break it up a little. Add the squash, chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini and some salt and pepper and puree until smooth. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 3/4 cup olive oil to incorporate. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Cut the tortillas into scary shapes with Halloween cookie cutters (you may need to stack the tortillas to press the cutters through) and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until crispy, 12 to 16 minutes.
• Top the hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and the roasted squash seeds. Serve with the scary tortilla chips.