HUMMUS

Packed full of delicious and nutritious flavour, hummus is one of my all time favourites. I love having a jar of homemade hummus in my fridge to spoon over salads, vegetables, on a delicious sandwich or for a quick snack. This adds an extra dose of protein and iron to our meals.

Hummus is also a lovely food for kids as it is very nutritious and tastes delicious. I find that hummus helps my kids to eat more vegetables as they love to dip colourful vegetable sticks in it. If you can make eating more “fun” then they will love it and gobble it up.

Ingredients:

400g tin of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1/2 clove of garlic (optional)

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

125ml water

salt and pepper to taste

Blend all of the ingredients up in a food processor, until deliciously smooth and creamy.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed, or any other ingredient to your liking.

Add more water if it is too thick. The longer you blend it, the creamier it will become.

Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with a dash of paprika and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with raw vegetables, crunchy pitas, crackers, spooned over salads or roasted vegetables.

Kids Corner:

My kids absolutely love making hummus. I measure out all of the ingredients and they throw it all into the food processor, pop the lid on and switch it on. They are mesmerised by the transformation into the creamy dip that they devour straight from the bowl. I love letting them taste it and asking them if they think we should add more of any of the ingredients. Levi usually says “a little more lemon juice” and Charlotte nods her head in agreement.

Health Benefits:

Chickpeas are a wonderful addition to your diet as they contain many essential vitamins and minerals. I especially love adding them to my meals as they are high in iron and protein (I don’t eat a lot of animal protein so this is a good way to get more in). They help to keep you full for longer and are packed with fibre, to help with digestion.

Tahini (made from sesame seeds) is one of the best sources of calcium, helping to give you strong bones and teeth, perfect for growing kids and pregnant mommies.