Quick Recipe: Hummus

Very rarely does my daughter request something healthy in her lunch, so when she asks for hummus, I really can't complain. Hummus is essentially a chickpea dip, which is OK by me. Chickpeas are an outstanding source of protein, fibre and zinc. The taste and texture is fabulous.

Promise me you'll never buy store bought hummus again. This recipe takes less than 5 minutes to construct, has no preservatives, very little fat, and tastes  fresher and brighter than anything you can buy in a package. Oh - and also costs less than a quarter of what you'll pay for at the grocery store.




Hummus
Preparation Time: 5 minutes.

1 14 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo) beans
1/2 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl and blend to desired consistency with an immersion blender.
I like to leave mine a little chunkier than smooth, so it sticks better to whatever you dip.
Serve with crunchy vegetables like carrots or celery or cauliflower, and/or flatbreads, pita triangles or bread.

I sometimes change up the spices, but the smokiness of the paprika is always the best thing for me!
Let me know what you think!

Roasted Chickpeas

Chickpeas are pretty fantastic. The name is great to say; it`s alternative name, Garbanzo Beans, is just as great to say!
They`re an excellent source of fibre, protein, iron and folate.

A 100g serving of them provides 165 calories, 7.6 g fibre, 8.9 g of protein, almost 3mg of iron, and .1 mg of folic acid. Outstanding. And they taste great.

Most of the production and consumption occurs in India, the Mediterranean, and Western Asia, but we should really follow their lead. Eaten on their own as a snack, simply made into hummus, transformed into falafels, socca flatbread, or, as in this post, roasted for a healthy treat!

Eat as much as you like! They`re great for you - easy to make, easy to eat, easy to change up.

RECIPE - ROASTED CHICKPEAS

1 can chickpeas (796ml)
1 tsp olive oil
Generous amount of Kosher salt
Generous amount of Smoked Paprika

Heat oven to 400 F. Rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towel. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Pour olive oil over chickpeas and massage lovingly. Sprinkle salt and smoked paprika and shake to distribute evenly.
Bake for 15 minutes, shake pan to redistribute, and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes, until just turning brown.

Let cool for several hours, to allow the chickpeas to get a nice crunch on, and enjoy!.

VARIATIONS

Try subbing in sugar and cinnammon for the salt and paprika for a sweet treat.
Try switching paprika for onion powder, dill and a little balsamic vinegar!
The possibilities are endless. (Liv wants to try cake mix and sprinkles :) )

Let me know how this turns out for you, and if you try anything different!