Jewel Box Hummus Bowl

I know I promised you part 2 of a vegetable treat. Hold that thought, We will get to pumpkin pancakes later this week. For now, picture a sunny fall hike: yellow and red leaves gently swaying in the breeze, sunrays bouncing off the last few dew drops as the air warms up, and the sound of dry branches and grass crunching underfoot. I desperately wanted to hold on to the beauty of this day just a little longer so I let it inspire dinner and packed it in a bowl. We called it a jewel box bowl as all the vibrant colors reminded us of little precious jewels….and doesn’t it just sound so much fancier than roasted vegetable bowl??

This will be quite a list of ingredients but don’t let it scare you. It is easier than it seems.

For the hummus (you can easily substitute your favorite store-bought version)

• 1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup Tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small clove of garlic
• salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Done.

For the vegetables:

• 1 medium size Delicata squash (you can substitute any other winter squash you like. I am partial to Delicata because you can eat the skin which makes this recipe so much easier to make). Cut in half lenghth-wise, scoop the seeds out, and cut into 1/2″ slices
• 1 lb brussels sprouts. cut in half if they are large
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Mix spices and sugar together and sprinkle over the vegetables. bake for 30min.

Yogurt sauce mix together:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• salt and pepper to taste

Herb dressing mix together:

• 1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped “summer” herbs (I used a combination of mint and parsley. You could also use cilantro or basil)

You will also needs some fresh pomegranate seeds.

Now for the fun part. Spread a generous amount of hummus in the bottom of a bowl or deep plate. Top with the roasted vegetables and a few dollops or yogurt, Sprinkle with the herb dressing and a generous amount of pomegranate seeds. And there you go- a fall hike in a bowl!