Good Morning!!
Summer has hit us smack bang in the face – finally! and also made me realise that I didn’t really work on that summer body in winter so I’m going to have to eat right, at least sometimes.
I really struggle with healthy snacks coz let’s be real… healthy snacks are not what we REALLY want to be eating.
I decided to whip up some hummus to have as a dip instead of cream cheese and hopefully pack things like carrots, celery and tomatoes for work instead of going to Mohammed for Niknaks when the 3pm snack-cident normally takes place.
Tahini is preferred in hummus recipes however, tahini is expensive! 90 bucks expensive! I luckily had sesame seeds in the cupboard and all tahini consists of is sesame seeds and olive oil. Sesame seeds are about R 35.00 soooo it’s really a no-brainer but to make your own.
You don’t need to use tahini in a hummus recipe, let me know if you try it this way and how it turned out?
For the tahini, I used about ¾ cup of sesame seeds which you need to toast in a dry pan. Watch them closely as the sesame seeds turn brown very quickly; keep stirring them around until majority of the seeds are golden brown.
Once done place in a blender, add the olive oil – I can’t say how much, add about 3 tablespoons and blend, check the consistency and add more if needed.
The tahini needs to be a slightly runny consistency – think tomatoe sauce-like. While blending stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the blender until the entire mixture is blended and smooth – and you’re done! Tahini sorted. You can store in a sealed jar for up to a month in the fridge.
For the hummus:
- 1 can drained chickpeas
- 60ml tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves minced garlic (or more if you prefer)
- Approximately 30ml olive oil
- Salt (I also added some cumin)
Method
Add the tahini and lemon juice to the blender and blitz until well combined.
Next, add the chickpeas and garlic. While blending add the olive oil until the mixture is smooth – similar to peanut butter.
Add about 2 tablespoons of water if the consistency is too thick and blend until smooth.
Season as desired with salt
And that’s that hey, hummus made – it is a the perfect healthy accompaniment to bread, raw veggies, wraps and platters.
