Tag: beans

Must have Hummus

Yes – it’s true – hummus is the best – here is my recipe, and remember – once you get it right – it is so much better for you than any shop bought variety – in which there are usually many additives you really do not want to eat – such as palm oil (I mean- Why?) and artificial flavouring to name the most obvious, and they are lazy about spices so to compensate they add way too much salt

The answer is to make your own – and once made it keeps well in the fridge for many days. Also it’s a great way to get more fresh vegetables down you as you can easily and quickly prepare celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and paprika (bell pepper) sticks – just to name a few – to dip into your Hummus and munch on –

Also a great quick fail safe party snack and great to get kids to eat healthy food – which can often be a real hurdle. On top of that is that it is very, very economical, it costs almost nothing to make.

a tin of chickpeas in brine
Juice of half a lemon
water
2 – 3 tablespoons of tahini
ground cumin – or even whole cumin seed.
a pinch of salt

Drain the chickpeas
squeeze the half a lemon
Then simply chuck it all in the blender – and blend until smooth-ish , adding water to get the right potato-mash consistency (it does not have to be silky smooth – some rough body to the hummus is part of what makes it so delicious – then salt or add more spices to get the flavour just right!
I add ground fenugreek or curry powder to mine, and sometimes use other kinds of nut butters – peanut is possible or almond, pine nut, pistachio or cashew – but make sure you use 100% nut butters with no additives whatsoever- not even salt.
Also, you can make a hummus out of ANY kind of bean. Lima beans, black beans, red kidney beans, berlotti beans – simply try them out – see how to adjust.
You can also add fresh herbs if you wish chopping fine before adding to the blender. Try parsley or chives, garlic or dried provincial herb mix.
You can even experiment with vegetables, add some spinach, try beetroot, finely chopped spring onion.

You have choices. take them.

A mixed bean salad

Vegan, oil free, gluten free, delicious.

This oil free recipe gets its creaminess from the Violife ‘white’ and the borlotti beans. red beans will also work. Carrot adds sweetness and cucumber a delicious coolness. The rucola is used as a herb as it is strong and peppery in flavour, all offsetting the slight bitterness from the chicory. Thus giving a wonderful easy to eat oil free salad containing all the nutrients needed.

For gallbladder and liver health it is also possible to add dandelion leaf finely chopped, it goes well in this dish adding it’s own flavour in-between the chicory and rucola. It is possible to forage dandelion almost anywhere, be careful to choose clean plants not near busy roads but in meadows or parks where the air is cleaner. Or like I do simply grow it in your garden as it is a healthy nutritious plant.

The lemon juice and salt bring out all the natural flavours of the fresh ingredients and with the rucola and the dandelion leaf you don’t need pepper.

red chicory, finely chopped
spring onion thinly sliced
grated carrot
dandelion leaf finely chopped
a small tin of green borlotti beans (red kidney beans are also good)
greek white ‘goats cheese’ Violife, in small chunks
rucola, very finely chopped (arugula)
red cayenne chilli very finely chopped
cucumber in small chunks
paprika, orange, sliced and chopped (bell pepper)
lemon juice to taste
salt  to taste