Home-made Hummus

Supermarket hummus is great as there are so many varieties these days.  It's instant,  perfect for picnics, parties or to keep in the fridge at work to eat with rice cakes for lunch.  My only problem is the fat content.  Certainly the popular brands of hummus at my local supermarket are quite high in fat.  Don't get me wrong, supermarket hummus is often spotted on my shopping list, but I try and make my own when I can, as it costs less, is low in fat and my son just loves it.  He's not into the flavoured varieties, he likes plain old hummus.

My home-made Hummus Recipe

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
1 roasted garlic (see below) squeezed out of it's skin
juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 heaped tablespoon lite greek yoghurt
salt and pepper

I use my kitchen whizz to make hummus and it literally takes 5 minute if the garlic was roasted the night before(or when I last cooked in my oven).

Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend until you get the right consistency. 

My son's favourite accompaniment to hummus is brown rice crackers.

Snack Attack

Snacking.  Always a challenge.  Especially when you have been at home in quarantine for a whole week looking after a chicken pox infested pre schooler.  And no wheat based carbs or sugary snacks allowed.  That seems most unfair, but the following snacks have helped me get through the week without feeling as though I'm suffering too much.

Fruit
My favourite fruit of the week is definately the mandarin.  I imagine each sweet segment as being a jelly bean.  They are so delicious this season.  Three cheers for whoever grew such mandarins.  I am currently eating 3-4 of these a day, randomly, in emergency situations when sugar cravings set in.  My other favourite is dried apple rings.  In moderation to the mandarins due to the natural sugar content.

Dried Apple Rings

Miso Soup
Bought in sachets from the asian section in our local supermarket, add the paste to a cup of hot water, and voila you have a steaming cup of miso, very good at dealing with hunger pains and three thirtyitis.

Instant Japanese Miso Soup

 
Hummus
Home made hummus on brown rice crackers, or a blob on a slice of cucumber is very appetising.  I will be posting a separate item on home-made hummus, as it's so good, 'much better than the supermarket' says my hummus-loving 7 year old


Toasted Seeds
Dry fried pumpkin and sunflower seeds are a good alternative to nuts as they taste good, one tends to eat less of them, so less fat consumed.

Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds