We both came out to our parents soon after we started dating. Three months after our first kiss, Ryan flew to Oregon to visit family for Christmas. He had just turned twenty and still hadn’t revealed his secret to anyone back home, but he had met someone special and wanted to share the excitement with his parents. After days of anxiously waiting for the right moment to tell them, it finally presented itself: they were sitting quietly in the family room, reading after dinner. He paced outside the door rehearsing the words he had practiced a hundred times in his head. After one last deep breath, he walked in and took a seat on the couch.
“I have something to tell you.”
They both looked up from their newspapers and said nothing, waiting for what was coming next.
“I met someone at school this semester.”
Silence. His heart was racing.
“…and his name is Adam.”
His mom just smiled. “We’ve always known, we were just waiting for you to tell us.”
The entire family was supportive from day one—even Ryan’s grandmother, a devout Catholic in her 80’s, loved and accepted Adam like a grandson, greeting him every time with huge hugs and home-cooked tortilla con papas. We both feel fortunate to come from such loving and accepting homes, but for many people, this is not the case. So in honor of National Pride Month, we created a rainbow recipe to spread awareness about a campaign that is helping LGBT kids around the country.
We teamed up with Kroger to share a recipe that celebrates pride, and what better way than with a rainbow of hummus! We started with our favorite classic hummus recipe as the foundation, and came up with six zesty flavor variations—each one vibrant and distinctly unique. Which one would you choose: spicy roasted red pepper & sriracha, roasted carrot & ginger, roasted lemon & black pepper, arugula with mint & toasted pine nuts, feta & roasted garlic, or roasted purple sweet potato & chipotle? Each variety is naturally colored using vegetables and spices while the blue hummus has a pinch of spirulina to complete the edible rainbow. With loads of raw garlic, fresh lemon juice, and tahini, these creamy dips will have your tastebuds singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
Kroger has been active in the LGBT community, and this month they are bringing together brands that support LGBT issues nationwide. At Southern California Ralphs, when purchasing featured products from Anheuser Busch, Campbell’s, Pepperidge Farm, Pepsi, Frito Lay, E. & J. Gallo, and Hershey, food and funds will be donated directly to the local Los Angeles LGBT Center. But no matter where you live, making rainbow hummus is a fun and easy way to show your pride. Pick your favorite flavor to use as a dip and a tangy spread for sandwiches, or make the entire rainbow for an instantly Instagrammable display at this month’s celebrations. Happy dipping and we’ll see you at the parade!
Roasted Vegetable Rainbow Hummus
For the red hummus (roasted red pepper & sriracha):
1 large red bell pepper (450g), halved vertically, stem and seeds removed
2 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce, plus more for garnish if desired
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the orange hummus (roasted carrot & ginger):
1 medium carrot (100g), cut into 1/2-inch dice)
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
For the yellow hummus (roasted lemon & turmeric):
1/2 lemon, sliced thinly, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
For the green hummus (toasted pine nuts, arugula, & mint):
2 tablespoons (16g) pine nuts
2 handfuls of arugula (34g)
1 small handful of fresh mint leaves (6g), plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the blue hummus (roasted garlic & feta):
1 head of garlic, unpeeled and left whole
1 1/2 ounces (42g) feta cheese, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon powdered spirulina, plus more for garnish (see note)
For the purple hummus (roasted sweet potato & chipotle):
1/2 small purple sweet potato (100g), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the hummus base:
3 15-ounce (425g) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup (177ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup (125g) tahini
4 large garlic cloves (20g), minced or pressed
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
To roast the vegetables:
Preheat oven to 450°F/232°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Place the red pepper halves on the sheet, cut side down. Next to the peppers, place the cut carrots. Lay the lemon slices in a single layer on the sheet as well. Next to that, place the cut sweet potato. Drizzle the vegetables with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Cut off the top 1/4-inch of the unpeeled head of garlic so the tops of each clove are visible. Place the clove on a 6-inch square of aluminum foil, cut side up. Drizzle the head with a teaspoon of olive oil, then fold up the foil and seal it closed tightly. Place the wrapped garlic on the baking sheet with the other vegetables, and roast until everything is tender, about 20 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Stirring or shaking the pan often, cook until the nuts are deeply toasted and browned, 4 to 5 minutes. When toasted, immediately transfer the nuts to a bowl to cool to prevent overcooking.
To make the hummus base:
In a blender or food processor, combine the beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, and olive oil, and blend until smooth. Divide the hummus evenly between 6 bowls. Next make the different colors of hummus one at a time, wiping or rinsing the food processor clean between each one. All the hummus is best served at room temperature, and can be refrigerated for up to a week in sealed containers.
To make the red hummus:
Transfer the hummus from one bowl back into the food processor. Remove and discard the skin from the red bell pepper—it should peel off easily— then add the pepper to the processor, along with the sriracha and salt. Blend until smooth, then transfer back to the serving bowl. Garnish the hummus with a swirl of sriracha hot sauce if desired.
To make the orange hummus:
Transfer the hummus from the second bowl back into the food processor. Add the cooked carrots, reserving a few pieces for garnish. Then add the grated ginger, olive oil, lemon juice, and pinch of cayenne, and process until blended. Transfer to its serving bowl, then garnish with the reserved carrots.
To make the yellow hummus:
Transfer the hummus from the third bowl back into the food processor. Add the roasted lemon slices, turmeric, and black pepper, and process until blended. Transfer to its serving bowl, make a small indentation in the hummus, then drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with ground black pepper.
To make the green hummus:
Transfer the hummus from the fourth bowl back into the food processor. Add the toasted pine nuts (reserving a few for garnish), arugula, mint, and olive oil, and process until blended. Transfer to its serving bowl, then garnish with the reserved pine nuts and a few chopped mint leaves.
To make the blue hummus:
Transfer the hummus from the fifth bowl back into the food processor. Unwrap the garlic head from the foil packet, and gently remove the soft cloves from the papery skin. Add the cloves to the food processor, along wth the feta and olive oil, and process until blended. Transfer to its serving bowl, and stir in the powdered spirulina until evenly colored. Top with a sprinkle of crumbled feta and a pinch of spirulina.
To make the purple hummus:
Transfer the hummus from the final bowl back into the food processor. Add the sweet potatoes (reserving a few for garnish), olive oil, chipotle chiles, and salt, and process until blended. Transfer to its serving bowl, and garnish with the reserved sweet potatoes.
note:
— Most spirulina powder is more of a greenish-blue color, but there is one variety called Blue Majik that is a true, deep blue color. You can find it online or at natural food stores.
— Want just one color of the rainbow? You can easily make a single batch of any of these 6 hummus varieties. Start by roasting the ingredients for your chosen flavor, but double the ingredient amounts shown above—for example, to make a single batch of the blue hummus, you would use 2 heads of roasted garlic—3 ounces of feta, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon spirulina). Add the ingredients above to the blender or food processor, along with 1 can of garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons tahini, 1 to 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Process until smooth, and then serve and enjoy!