Hummus

I love chickpeas and I love snacking. Therefore, it's good to know these go well together! Instead of eating fatty, processed dips, I prefer to make my own.

Hummus is basically chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) blended up in a food processor (I love my food processor too!), with a little oil, water or lemon juice added so that it forms a creamy dip.

Adding a few spices to the hummus gives it additional flavour. I always add cumin and sometimes paprika, cayenne pepper and/or crushed garlic.

Tahini (a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds) is also a popular ingredient to add to hummus recipes. However, I usually limit the oil or tahini to a tablespoon - otherwise the fat content per serving is quite high. If I don't have tahini to hand, sprinkling sesame seeds into the mix is a ideal alternative.

Chopped raw vegetables go great with hummus and make the perfect mid-morning or afternoon snack!

Hummus
Makes 5 (65g per serving)

Ingredients:
- 425g / 15oz / 1 can chickpeas, drained, except 15ml/1tbsp liquid
- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil
- 45ml / 3tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2tsp cumin
- 1/2tsp paprika
- ground black pepper

Method:

• In a food processor, blend together the chickpeas, bean juice, olive oil, lemon juice and spices until smoothly combined. 
• Pour into an air-tight container, grind pepper on top of the hummus (if desired) and refrigerate.
• Serve on rice cakes or with chopped vegetables. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information: