Hooray for Hummous

Keep some in your fridge at all times

Surely everyone loves hummus? My love affair began as a fifteen year old, gobbling it down with too hot to touch pitta after too much vodka from the bar we'd snuck into hours before. So stylish. Always there on a picnic, good with tortilla chips, bread-sticks and vegetable sticks for the virtuous. Shop bought is ok, but like pesto, home made is so quick and easy, tastes infinitely better, is good for your health and your pocket. I was a bit loathed to put up a recipe for something so simple, but mates do ask how I make it, so I guess this is a way of testing whether or not they read the blog!

This recipe is enough for pre dinner nibbles for 4-6. Drain most of the water from a tin of chickpeas, (or soak and boil the equivalent) and throw into a wizzer. Add a few cloves of roughly chopped garlic, a teaspoon of cumin seeds, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper, a pinch of dried chilli flakes and a massive long glug of extra virgin olive oil. Give it a wizz, how long depends on how smooth you like it. If if looks a bit dry add more oil. Now taste it. If its a bit bland, season more and maybe a bit more lemon, this is real trial and error stuff, but it should not be bland, rather vibrant and fresh tasting. Put in a dish, drizzle on some more olive oil and garnish with parsley/coriander and serve with hot pitta bread.

Might not be the most authentic recipe, I know you're supposed to use tahini, but I think it's tastier without. Keep it simple and you can't go wrong.