Last week I was privileged to celebrate the life of a great friend, father, and a pioneer and leader in the nutrition and holistic health fields, Dr. Bruce MacFarland.

We were invited to bring a favorite food to share, which in my case, that day, because I was pushed for time, would have been chips and salsa, picked up at Costco. But as I thought about all the things I’d learned from Bruce over the five years I’ve known him including his infamous “Eat slow or die fast,” and “Don’t cross your legs or risk varicose veins,” I realized I wanted to do something to honor his health conscious ways (well, except for Kopp’s Custard in Milwaukee, but who can resist that!) so I decided to make homemade hummus with sliced carrot sticks.

I got out one of my favorite (and beautiful to look at) recipe books “The Raw Goumet” and made the Hummus recipe, which is good, but still kind of bland. I wondered what I could do to spice it up and asked the Ethers, “What would Bruce add?”

Beets and chili paste. Outrageous and creative just like him. So that’s what I added and named it in honor of him: “Dr MacFarland’s Flu-Fighting, All Natural, Homemade Beet-Kickin’ Hummus Recipe. And surprise, surprise… it’s really tasty, with a just the perfect amount of irreverent Bruce-like kick, and a beautiful shade of raspberry, (which is why I created the small poster, attached with tape and chopsticks to the bowl, so people wouldn’t think it was a sweet mousse).

2 c. garbanzo beans
1 c. fresh beets
½ c. water
2-4 Tbs. garlic
¼ c. lemon juice
½ c. parsley
½ c. Tahini
2-4 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. chili paste
½ tsp. cayenne
¼ – ½ tsp. salt

Cut beet into halves. Dice ½ cup and set aside.

Add remaining ½ c. beets into Cuisinart and mix with garbanzo beans, water, parsley, and olive oil until paste forms.

Add garlic, lemon juice, Tahini, chili paste, cayenne, and salt (all to taste) and mix until absorbed.

Fold in remaining half cup of diced beets.

Chill and serve with vegetable slices.

Eat and chew slowly with legs uncrossed and send a blessing to The Good Doctor for helping you stay healthy.

Thank you Daddy-O.