Spicy Beet Dip Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Remove greens from beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem. Do not trim or cut root. Wash beets well. Tightly wrap beets in double layer of foil, and roast on cookie sheet 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until tender. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel, discarding stems and root ends. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges.
• In food processor bowl with metal blade, and with processor running, drop garlic clove through feed tube. Process with on-and-off pulses until finely chopped. Add cooled, roasted beets and remaining ingredients. Cover; process until smooth. Place in serving bowl.
• Serve as dip with fresh vegetables as desired. Cover and refrigerate any remaining dip.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a medium bowl, coat the beets in the oil and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Tear four lengths of aluminum foil and tightly wrap each beet individually in the foil. Roast the beets in the oven for about 1 hour, until caramelized and tender (a knife or cake tester should go through them with little or no resistance). Remove the beets from the oven and cool in the foil.
• For this next step, I save old towels I don't mind staining. When cool enough to handle, remove the beets from the foil, wrap each beet in a towel, and rub the peels away.
• Coarsely chop the beets and place them in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, chile, lemon juice, cumin, and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and blend for about 5 minutes, until creamy and smooth. Slowly drizzle in the tahini and continue blending until the tahini is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste. If you want a thicker spread, blend in more tahini, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• When ready to serve, scoop the mixture onto a serving plate, drizzle it with the oil, and garnish it with the herbs.

Steps:

• Put the beets, whole walnuts, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, chile flakes, garlic and salt into a food processor or blender. Purée on high until beets and nuts are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, and blend again, until the mixture gets slightly smoother. Add the olive oil, and blend again, scraping down the sides, until mixture forms a coarse purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired.
• Spoon labneh into a bowl, smoothing it, then heap the beet dip on top. Top with a generous drizzle of olive oil and chopped walnuts; grate some lemon zest on top. Serve with pita and cucumbers for dipping.