Pumpkin Hummus

Thank you to everyone who entered my Pumpkin Palooza Giveaway! I really enjoyed reading about all of your favorite seasonal treats and traditions. Thanks to my trusty Random Integer Generator, we have a winner, Tamakikat! Tamakikat is writing to us from one of my favorite places on earth, Kyoto, Japan. As far as seasonal treats Tamakikat likes “anything with apples-apple crumble, apple turnover, baked apples, and apple pies. Like the idea of using apples from the tree in the back yard to cook with/dehydrate.” Mmmm, me too! Tamakikat, send me your snail mail address at fujimama1[at]gmail[dot]com (putting the appropriate symbols in the appropriate places) so that I can get your prize to you!
I’m in a particularly good mood today as this is my 200th post! Yes, I have survived another 100 times of hitting that publish button. Tomorrow will be the last day of Pumpkin Palooza–7 pumpkin recipes in 7 days–are you pumpkined out yet?
Today’s Pumpkin Palooza Recipe is a take on hummus, found via another foodie blogger. This hummus takes the traditional protein-rich dip—a creamy blend of chickpeas and tahini (sesame paste) flavored with lemon juice and garlic, and gives it a hint of fall spice with the addition of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. It comes together quickly and makes a wonderful healthy dip (or spread!). Squirrel counts this recipe as a win for team Pumpkin.
We had my parents over to watch some college football, so I whipped this up to go along with our not-so-healthy pizza. This recipes makes A TON, so I ended up sending my parents home with a big container of it because there was no way the Fuji family was going to be able to consume it all. Unless I serve it at a party, I will half the recipe next time I make it.

Pumpkin Hummus
found on Allrecipes makes approximately 5 cups of dip
1 (15-oz.) can garbanzo beans
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree
5 fluid ounces lemon juice (approximately 2/3 c. or 10 Tbsp.)
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. tahini paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
salt to taste

1. Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid for use. Place the beans and 1/3 cup of the reserved liquid into a blender, and puree until a smooth paste forms.

2. Add the pumpkin puree, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cover and puree again until smooth.

3. Use additional cooking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors fully develop.

*For directions on how to use dry garbanzo beans, see original recipe.

Tagged as: Pumpkin Palooza, pumpkin puree