HUMMUS

Chickpeas are 8.4% protein which is higher than kidney beans at 6.9% and lentils at 7.6% this makes them a cheap source of good food. They also contain zinc which is can guard against colds along with and iron and copper. When you blend chickpeas you get Hummus which is a true vegan food which I was eating in the 50s. in those days you didn't have food blenders it was made the old way with a Mortar and pestle which were implements used since ancient times to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste. It was a lot of had work so it was true soul food. If I have learnt anything about making your own Hummus is to use fresh lemon juice for the best tasting hummus. Bottled lemon juice doesn't cut the mustard IMHO

The use of fresh garlic adds a little spice and zest. try one garlic to start and add until its just right for you. You can also experiment with roasting the garlic for a stronger taste but make sure you don't burn the garlic as it can turn it bitter.

One spice is a must, ground cumin takes it to another level and adds a little more spice and richness.

Try to use extra virgin olive oil, this makes the texture of the hummus more luxurious.

You can add more flavour and ingredients to your hummus. I love adding roasted red peppers, olives, pine nuts, or extra spices are good like curry paste.

To make a basic great Hummus

YOU WILL NEED

250 grams cooked chickpeas or from a tin

60 ml fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)

60 grams of well-stirred tahini paste. (see below)

1 small crushed garlic clove with the green centre removed.

30 ml Good quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving.

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.

Kosher Salt to taste.

30 to 45 ml water.

Plus a dash ground paprika for serving.

DIRECTIONS

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini paste and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “cream” the tahini, this will make the hummus smooth and creamy.

• Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended. Add half the drained chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth for about 2minutes.

• The hummus mix may still have lumps of chickpea. With the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency.

• Taste and add extra salt if needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and dash of paprika. You can store this homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

Making your own tahini paste is easy and only requires a little work and is far better than shop bought tahini paste.

Start: Toast the sesame seeds lightly. The flavour is far superior this way. Use a frying pan over medium heat and stir constantly until the seeds darken ever so slightly which will make them more fragrant. Don't use the oven as they can over-bake. Sesame seeds are tiny and burn very easily. Trust me I have the teeshirt.

When the sesame seeds have cooled, add them your food processor, process until a crumbly paste begins to form. To help the tahini turn into an extra smooth paste, add a few tablespoons of neutral-flavoured oil of your choice. You can eliminate some of the oil if you would like, but the tahini won’t be as smooth or pourable. For a consistency as shop-bought add about 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil.

After more processing with a few stops to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and more processing your tahini paste is done. Extra smooth and ready to use in whatever recipe you like. If place in a sealed jar in a fridge the tahini will keep for a month.

Make Hummus not war