Hummus

HUMMUS! (Or hummous as I’ve been spelling it till I actually Googled it today…) This is one of my favourite dips and I probably make it every fortnight or so. It’s quick, easy to make, cheap and very nutritious.

“Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and also has significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6. The chickpeas make it a good source of protein and dietary fiber; the tahini consists mostly of sesame seeds, which are an excellent source of the amino acid methionine, complementing the proteins in the chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, hummus carries varying amounts of monounsaturated fat. Hummus is useful in vegetarian and vegan diets; like other combinations of grains and pulses, it serves as a complete protein when eaten with bread.”

-          Wikipedia

I’ll normally spread it on wraps with salad or use as a dip with chopped veg.

Makes 1 bowl

Ingredients:

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 x crushed cloves of garlic

Salt, pepper and paprika to taste (optional, I usually put ½ tsp salt with a twist of pepper and sprinkle paprika on top for decoration)

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl  
2. Mash them all up – can be done manually using a potato masher or electronically using a hand held food processor (I really advise investing in the latter, I use mine for soups, smoothies etc) 

And that’s IT! SO SIMPLE!! (Told you this blog would be simple…) Aside from the tahini and chickpeas you'll probably have most of the other ingredients in your kitchen anyway, once you've bought these two extras you'll always have a yummy, nutritious snack on hand :)

Notes/Tips:

- You can adjust the oil/lemon juice measurements to taste and preference. Personally I love olive oil but if you’re concerned about fat simply replace one of the tablespoons of oil with an additional tablespoon of lemon juice, or even water, but that’d be pretty bland! A popular addition is also coriander.