Artificial meat - the end to world hunger....or not?

An article shared by Yeovil and Somerset Vegetarians on my Facebook page, prompted me to write this post. It stated that the Japanese are developing a new meat-like food stuff made with protein from bacteria, extracted from human waste. After reading the article, I had to check the date, to see if it was written on April the 1st!

Then, last Sunday, I read a very interesting, but scary article in the Sunday Times newspaper about in vitro meat (an update from this previous article.)  Apparently scientists have managed to produce small quantities in the lab and think that mass-produced cultured meat could be a reality within the next 10 years.

I was slightly surprised to find PETA are promoting this research, despite their reasoning that in vitro meat could save the unnecessary slaughter of farm animals, reduce carbon emissions and could help tackle famine.

Famine is something that we would all surely like to end. As far as I understand, and I could be wrong, it's known that if the entire world's population turned vegetarian, we would, in theory, all have enough food to eat - Around 70% of the world's agricultural land is currently used to grow food to feed and raise livestock, instead of being used to grow plant-based food for humans. As a bonus, carbon emissions would be significantly reduced, as farmed animals produce approximately 20% of our global greenhouse-gas emissions.

Now, I'm not saying that the world going vegan or vegetarian is likely, or even possible (as this is a totally idealistic argument), but a diet more like that of our ancestors, containing just a little meat or fish along side plenty of plant-derived foods, would surely go along way to feeding the starving millions, and would help to improve the health of people globally.

We already have the option of eating non-meat alternatives such as soya, tofu and Quorn which are all low in fat, high in protein and cheaper to produce than meat - so why do we need a version which contains animal cells? I'll certainly be sticking to my veggie diet, whatever the scientists come up with!

What do you think...are you for or against cultured meats and do you think they could be the answer to world hunger?

Read more about in vitro meat here.  Pin It

Vegetarian Jambalaya

I saw some Cajun seasoning in the supermarket this week and bought it as an impulse buy. I then had to find something to use it in, and decided on a one pot vegetarian jambalaya. Having scoured my recipe books with no luck, I turned to the internet. I found two recipes which sounded like they might work, (a meaty but simple one from Netmums, and a veggie one from Gumbo Pages which serves 12 people) so I picked the best bits from both and came up with this recipe to serve 4.

• 4 vegetarian/vegan sausages or chicken-style fillets, defrosted and diced/sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• ¼ butternut squash peeled, seeded and diced (or a large sweet potato)
• 1 courgette/zucchini, diced
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2-3 cups hot vegetable stock
• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 1-2 tsp Cajun/Creole seasoning*
• ½ tsp dried thyme/1 tsp fresh chopped thyme

Heat the oil in a large pan.
Add the onion and squash, cook for a few minutes on a medium heat. Stir in the herbs and spices to taste (I used 2 tsp each of smoked paprika and Cajun seasoning).
Add the garlic, bell pepper, courgette and chopped sausage to the pan, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and then add the tinned tomatoes and 2 cups of stock.
Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Put the lid on the pan and simmer on a low heat for around 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. (You may need to add some of the extra stock as the rice is cooking.)

Alternative: Swap the veggie sausage for a tin of drained red kidney beans or chickpeas.

*To make your own seasoning, mix equal quantities of ground cumin, coriander, cayenne, dried oregano, black pepper and sweet paprika. 


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Flapjacks with Dried Fruits, Nuts and Seeds (Vegan)

This is a fruity adaptation of my vegan chocolate flapjack recipe. It came into being after finding a packet of almost out-of-date dried dates at the back of my cupboard!

Makes 12-16 bars/squares.

• 150g/6oz dairy-free spread
• 150g/5oz soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 150g/6oz mixed chopped dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds 
• 225g/9oz porridge oats  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 160C/150C Fan Oven/325F/Gas 3.

Melt the spread with the sugar and syrup (in a pan or in the microwave).
Stir in the dried fruit/nuts/seeds and the vanilla extract.
Mix in the oats until coated in the syrup.
Pour into a greased baking tin (15cm x 20cm approx) and flatten with a fork or spoon.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before marking into squares/bars with a knife.
Turn out when cool - not before, or they'll fall apart!

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Top with melted dairy-free chocolate when cool, for a more indulgent flapjack!

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Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (Vegan)

I've been attempting to make a decent vegan chocolate cupcake for some time now. I wanted to make them without egg replacer or any fancy ingredients, but although I found I could make great tasting cakes, the texture was too crumbly without egg to stick it together. This time I added a grated apple and that seemed to do the trick!

• 250g/10oz SR flour
• 200g/8oz soft dark brown sugar
• 4 tbsp fine shred orange marmalade
• 150g/6oz vegan/dairy-free spread
• 150ml/a generous ½ cup cold water or dairy-free milk
• 50g/2oz unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 peeled and grated eating apple
• 50g/2oz dairy-free chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dates or chopped nuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 5/375F. 

Cream the dairy-free spread and the sugar, then add the cocoa, grated apple and marmalade and mix well.
Add the flour, water/milk and bicarb. Blend until you have a smooth mixture.
Stir in some chocolate chips/chopped nuts etc (optional).
Spoon generously into 12 muffin/cupcake cases.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
Ice when cool (optional).

Suitable for freezing.

Orange glacé icing

• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• 100g/4oz icing sugar
• A couple of drops of orange food colouring (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Add a little boiling water or some more icing sugar if needed, to make a thick, but spreadable icing.
Spread on top of each cake.

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Lentil and pesto veggie burgers

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I've been trying to perfect a lentil burger recipe that tastes good and doesn't fall apart when cooking; I initially managed to make bland burgers which stuck together, and tasty burgers which fell apart, but hadn't quite been able to combine the two! That was until I had the idea of adding vegetarian pesto (regular pesto generally contains Parmesan) to the mixture. This pepped up the flavour without making the mixture too sticky, so voila, here's the recipe for cheap* and tasty lentil and pesto burgers...

• ½ cup dried red lentils
• ½ cup dried green lentils
• 1 onion diced finely
• 1 red bell pepper diced finely
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp vegetarian or vegan pesto (e.g: ASDA smart price)
• 2-3 slices of wholemeal bread made into breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree or sun dried tomato paste

Place the lentils in a pan with 2 cups of boiling water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for around 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. You may need a little more water, but only add a drop at a time, as you want the lentil mixture to be as thick and dry as possible. Leave to cool while you do the next steps.
Fry the onion, pepper and garlic in a drop of olive oil, until soft.
Stir in the pesto and tomato puree/paste.
Add this to the lentil mixture and stir well.
Use a food processor to make your fresh breadcrumbs.
Add as much as you need to bind the lentil and vegetable mixture, until you have quite a firm mixture which can be shaped into burgers.
Divide the mixture into 12 burgers.
Place on a well greased baking tray and drizzle or brush with a little more olive oil.
Bake for around 20 minutes at 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5, turning once.

Suitable for freezing (after cooking).

*This budget recipe makes enough to feed 2 adults and 2 kids for 2 meals - we ate them in bread rolls with salad and home made potato wedges one night and on top of pasta in tomato sauce the next night. Each meal cost around £1.50/$2.50 (made using budget, own brand ingredients)...not bad eh?

Vegan option: Use vegan pesto, or extra sun dried tomato paste and a good tablespoon of chopped fresh basil. If you can't find a ready made pesto, make your own by blending a good handful of fresh basil, with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp pine nuts.

Alternatives: If you want to ring the changes, swap the pesto for vegetarian Thai curry paste or Indian curry paste.

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Vegetarian sandwiches and packed lunch ideas

I take a packed lunch to work most days and my kids take a packed lunch to school. Quite frankly, we're all getting a bit bored with our sandwich fillings!

Of course if you're veggie, you'd better like cheese, as the most common sandwich option in your average cafe or pub will be a Cheddar cheese sandwich with tomato, onion, pickle or coleslaw. If they use a good tasty or mature cheese you might be onto a winner, but a sandwich made with sliced white bread and mild Cheddar cheese is about as boring and bland as you can get.

I think you need to use a good bread to make a great sandwich, so either make your own, buy a good rustic loaf or even opt for a decent wholemeal sliced loaf (I like Hovis wholemeal granary). If you're a fan of 'real' bread, you might be interested in joining the Real Bread Campaign.

I've compiled the following ideas for vegetarian and vegan sandwiches, paninis and wraps, in the hope that this inspires me to make some of them for myself and my girls.

Cold Sandwiches
Here are some filling ideas for the humble cold sandwich...use thicker, rustic breads for the wetter fillings, especially if they will be sitting around for a while before lunchtime:

• Ploughman's - mature Cheddar, salad and Branston-type pickle.
• Wensleydale/Brie/Goat's cheese and cranberry sauce.
• Cheese and colesalw
• Quorn/meat-free slices, sliced pickles and salad.
• Cold, sliced veggie sausage with tomato chutney.
• Cold veggie BLT.
• Hummus and cucumber.
• Cold nut roast or veggie pate.
• Cold roasted vegetables with olive paste.
• Marmite with or without cheese. 
• Egg mayo/egg salad.
• Peanut butter - plain or with sliced banana/chocolate hazelnut spread/jam
• Thick cut heirloom tomatoes topped with mango-pomegranate guacamole, roasted garlic aioli, radish sprouts and thinly sliced dill pickle.
• Greek salad - cream some feta cheese with a drop of plain/Greek yogurt, sprinkle with oregano. Spread onto bread. Top with a salad made from diced tomato, cucumber and olives and pepper.
• Vegetarian coronation 'chicken'
• Sweet options - jam, chocolate hazelnut spread, marmalade.

Hot Sandwiches
Here are some ideas for the slightly more sophisticated toasted sandwich, panini, pitta or wrap...

• Goats cheese, rocket and onion chutney or cranberry sauce.
• Mozzarella, veggie pesto and rocket/sliced tomato.
• Cheese/vegan cheese, tomato, onion and basil.
• Roasted vegetables (home made or use anti-pasti) with sliced olives and a balsamic dressing.
• Sun-dried tomato paste and feta cheese.
• Falafel and salad drizzled with tzatziki.
• Hot veggie BLT.
• Veggie bacon, mushroom and cheese/vegan cheese.
• Veggie sausage/burger, salad/fried onions/sliced mushrooms and ketchup.
• Grilled flat mushroom with peri peri marinade and a slice of halloumi cheese (a la Nando's).
• Garlic mushrooms.
• Veggie pizza filling - tomato purée/sun dried tomato paste mixed with diced and roasted onion, pepper, sweetcorn, mushroom, courgette/zucchini (grated cheese - optional) .
• Cheese/vegan cheese and baked beans
• Refried beans, salsa and grated cheddar. 
• Hawaiian - veggie bacon, pineapple and cheese/vegan cheese.
• Chocolate hazelnut spread and sliced banana/strawberries

Any more ideas? Comment below with your favourite veggie/vegan sandwich filling and I'll add them to my list.

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No child born to die

Miss Kahonie, aged 10

Wendy from Inside the Wendy House tagged me in this potentially life-saving meme. It took a while for me to write this post, as it's one that means a lot to me, but here goes...

Maggy at Red Ted Art and Josie at Sleep Is For The Week are currently promoting the Save The Children “No Child Born to Die” Campaign, which was launched earlier this year. Since reading about the campaign, I've found out that 3 amazing fellow bloggers/vloggers (Lindsay Atkin, Chris Mosler and Tracey Cheetham) are all travelling to Mozambique next week, to follow the journey of a vaccine to a rural community. They will be reporting back about their experiences as they meet children and families on their journey. 

I'm supporting this campaign partly as it's such a worthy cause, and partly as my younger daughter, Miss Kahonie contracted meningitis when she was a baby.

I personally find it hard to comprehend why measles and other preventable diseases are on the increase in the UK again. Parents are well aware of the free vaccines available, but they are CHOOSING not to immunise their children.

If only we could have chosen to immunise our daughter against the strain of meningitis she contracted when she was a baby. She would not have had to fight for for her life in hospital. She would not have been studied and discussed by every doctor, nurse and medical student on the ward - whispering to each other and looking concerned, shooting sympathetic glances in our direction. Her tiny veins almost invisible as needles were poked into her for blood test after blood test; Veins nearly too narrow to take a cannula as the life-saving anti-biotics were pumped into her frail body. We wouldn't have had to ask the question every parent dreads and we wouldn't have had to consider how we would cope without her. Thankfully the necessary drugs and medical expertise were available to save her life...but many children around the world are not as lucky as she was.

Miss Ony, aged 12

Now, I know some parents may think the risks of immunisation are too great to consider (due to some pretty dodgy research IMHO), but I'm sure millions of parents around the world, especially those in developing countries, envy the position these people are in. What a luxury to be able to choose whether to immunise and to decide whether vaccination is a risk worth taking or not.

I find it shocking that every year 8 million children under five (around the world), still die from illnesses we know how to treat or prevent, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. That's like the entire population of New York being wiped out every year.

Look at the self-portraits of my 2 beautiful and talented daughters. Would I still have them both if we lived in the developing world?

Want to try to make a difference and raise awareness of this campaign?You can help to by signing the petition before 13th June 2011, to help persuade world leaders bridge the funding gap and save the lives of millions of children.  I have; Will you?

• Get your child to either draw or craft a self portrait of themselves now or in the future.
• Sign the Save the Children petition and then pass it onto your friends.
• Write a blog post about it as soon as possible, including info about Save the Children and the petition.
• Come back and link up your posts, so we can all share your craftiness.
  If you have time, visit some of the other posts and say hello.

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Vegetarian week challenge

It's National Vegetarian Week next week - the annual awareness-raising campaign promoting inspirational vegetarian food and the benefits of a meat-free lifestyle; I'm doing my bit to promote the event, by setting you all a foodie challenge (whether you're veggie already, or not!)

If you're not vegetarian, I'm challenging you to adapt a meat/fish based recipe to make it vegetarian, by swapping the meat/fish for a meat substitute, pulses, dairy products or just leaving it out and adding extra vegetables.

If you're already vegetarian, I'm challenging you to adapt a vegetarian recipe and make it vegan.

If you don't want to join in with these challenges, but you're featuring Vegetarian Week on your blog, or you have a vegetarian/vegan recipe you would like to share, then please link up too.

Edit - Thanks to everyone who linked up!

Linky posts:
Lynn's Cooking Blog - National Vegetarian Week
Farmer's Girl Kitchen - Butternut Lasagne
Inside The Wendy House - National Vegetarian Week
Peace, Love & Lots of Giggles - I Heart Being Vegetarian
Tofu Fun - End of Days
Gotta Run
Celebrating Mums - Family Vegetarian Recipes
Senses in the Kitchen - Courgette and Feta Bake

Thinking about going veggie? Then the first thing to do is to get your hands on a copy of the Vegetarian Society’s very aptly named – Going Veggie guide, it’s free and brand spanking new. Call 0161 925 2000 or visit www.nationalvegetarianweek.org for a free copy.

Image courtesy of the Vegetarian Society. Pin It

Mixed Vegetable Curry (Vegan)

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This is a medium, Indian-style vegetable curry, which all the family can enjoy. You might prefer to add the chilli at the end of the cooking time (after you have removed the kids' portions).
Serve with rice, chapatti or naan.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 heaped tsp fresh grated ginger plus 1 crushed clove of garlic (or 2-3 tsp garlic and ginger paste)
• ½ green chilli, deseeded and chopped finely (optional)
• 1-2 green cardamom pods (whole)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1-2 green bell peppers, chopped into chunks
• 1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
• 100g/4oz mushrooms, sliced
• 100g fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree/paste
• 25g/1oz creamed coconut

Heat the oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the onion and cook gently for a couple of minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and other spices and cook for another minute or so.
Stir in the tomato puree.
Add the remaining vegetables (except the spinach), and the tinned tomatoes and simmer gently (with the lid on the pan) for around 30 minutes.
Throw in the spinach and creamed coconut and stir well.
Cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
Remember to fish out the cardamom pods before serving!

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Use any combination of seasonal vegetables - frozen veg work fine too.
Use 2 tbsp of medium curry paste if you don't have the dried spices available.

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Minced Quorn with Spicy Rice (Vegetarian Keema Matar Pilau)

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This is my vegetarian version of  keema matar pilau, made using Quorn or veggie mince. It's a really quick, cheap and simple dish to make, and as it's very mild, it's ideal for all the family, even toddlers. 

• 1½ cups Quorn/veggie mince
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 heaped tsp garam masala
• 1½ cups of frozen peas or frozen mixed vegetables  
• Basmati rice
• ½ tsp turmeric 

Rinse the rice and cook for around 12 minutes (add the turmeric to the water, to colour and flavour the rice). Drain and place the lid on the pan to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan.
Fry the cumin seeds for a minute and then add the onion. Cook until until golden.
Add the veggie mince and peas (and/or other vegetables) and cook on a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
Add the rice and garam masala to the frying pan and stir well to combine the ingredients.

Alternatives: Add some drained, tinned chickpeas along with the vegetables for extra protein.
The mince and vegetable mixture (before the rice is added), also makes a nice wrap or pitta filling.

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An utterly authentic curry

My whole family love curry. Not one of those poor excuses for a curry that you can get out of a jar, but a real, spicy, aromatic curry, made with fresh ginger, garlic and spices.

I've tried to cut corners before and have tried all sorts of curry powders and pastes, but none have come close to the dishes I can cook at home using individual spices, or that I can eat in the Indian restaurants in my neighbourhood.

I was intrigued when I first heard about a new range of fresh curry pastes called Bipin's Masala. They come in various Gujarati blends: Surti Masala, Jeera Masala, Methi Masala, Machi Masala, Garam Masala and a milder Royal Korma range.

"Bipin’s Masala fresh curry paste is natural, pure, fresh and contains no additives, no flavouring, no colourings and no preservatives... All natural, all fresh, 100% vegetarian, gluten free, diary free."

I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of the Surti Masala paste and couldn't wait to try it out and see if it lived up to the claim that it would enable me to cook "...the best authentic curry you've ever tasted." Well, it certainly smelt pretty good when I opened the package. It looked good too, but what would it taste like? I couldn't wait to get cooking.

I improvised a bit with my curry, as I had various vegetables which needed using up, but if you're stuck for ideas, Bipin's website has a dedicated vegetarian section with some delicious-sounding recipes.

I added a chopped onion, a diced bell pepper, some mushrooms, 2 tbsp tomato puree, half a packet of paneer and a tin of chickpeas to a pan, and stirred in the curry paste (no need for extra oil or to pre-cook any of the vegetables). I let this simmer for 20 minutes and then stirred in 100g of chopped spinach and about 100ml of coconut milk. I simmered this for a further 5 minutes and then served with fresh naan bread. While it was cooking, Miss Kahonie commented that it smelt really good "Like a take away."

So to the taste test. My whole family had positive comments about the curry, and mentioned that it tasted better than my normal home cooked curries! The kids thought it was a bit too spicy, but they polished off every morsel on their plates. Both myself and Mr O, thought it was delicious, and agreed that it was up to restaurant standard. The only criticism we had, was that it was a little on the hot side for the average British palate. However, Bipin has created a milder Royal Korma range, which would cater for those who don't like their curries too hot. 

I will definitely be recommending Bipin's Masala pastes to my friends and family, and to anyone who wants to create an authentic curry at home. They are so quick and easy to use, that you could make a meal at home in the time it would take to get to the take away and back!

At the moment, Bipin's Masala can only be bought online at a cost of £10 for 3 pastes (plus p&p). Each curry paste pot serves 4+ people and is suitable for freezing.

Integrity Statement
I received 1 sample of  Bipin's Surti Masala to review. I did not receive payment, and the views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.

Images courtesy of Bipin's Masala © Pin It

Simple pleasures

Image © Onykahonie

I've just come back from a lovely, sunny weekend camping in Wales with the family. One of the first blog posts I read when I got back, was from Kate Takes 5 on the subject of simple pleasures. 

To me, simple pleasures must, by definition, either be free or cheap, so here are my top 5 (inspired by our weekend away).

1. Family laughter - Not just a giggle, but when the whole family are nearly crying in laughter about something that any other person would not find remotely funny. For us this weekend, it was the word foxy; First mentioned by Miss Kahonie, and then repeated randomly in conversation by the rest of us, to raise a laugh. I'm not sure that makes sense if you're reading this, but it raises a smile for me, just typing it out!
2. Going to the seaside - Which must involve eating chips on the beach, or eating an ice cream (or both, but not together!) plus paddling in the sea whatever the weather (wearing wellies and raincoats if necessary).
3. Hide and seek (or sardines) - My children are now at an age when walks in the countryside or visiting National Trust properties just aren't cool. Mention hide and seek, and we can still win them over.
4. Singing - I might not be the world's best singer, but I love singing. I've always sung to the children and they've grown up with a love of singing too. Mr Ony also likes a bit of a croon, but really can't hold a tune. Nevertheless, it cheers me up just to hear him attempting to sing!
5. Reading NOW magazine - My guilty pleasure, as I do like a bit of celeb gossip.

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I'm singing a veggie song!

Well, my eyes (or should that be ears?) have been opened, thanks to a random youtube link I was sent on twitter (@facelessfood, just in case you want to sent me a tweet!) Of course, I had to click on the link, and soon found myself listening to the Vegan Song. The lyrics and images were pretty thought-provoking, and certainly caught my attention, but some of the pictures were a tad controversial, so not suitable to show to children.

I then thought I'd search for vegetarian songs, and found quite a few. Now, I don't think that any of them will ever get any awards for singing or song writing, but here are a few that I particularly liked: Don't Eat Like a Barbarian, What Do You Eat?, No Meat On Monday. Pin It

Chocolate Cornflake Crunchies (Vegan)

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As it's nearly Easter and the kids are at home for the holidays, we thought we'd make some simple, cheap (and vegan) Chocolate Cornflake Crunchies*.

As we're not vegan, we topped them with mini milk-chocolate eggs, but you could obviously leave them off or use a dairy-free alternative, if you're vegan.

I generally double this recipe to make 16 cakes.

• 50g/2oz margarine
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 50g/2oz demerara sugar (I use soft brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp/½ oz unsweetened cocoa powder (I double this to make them more chocolaty)
• 50g/2 oz cornflakes

Put margarine, syrup, sugar and cocoa into a saucepan. Heat gently until the margarine has melted (I bring the mixture to the boil to make the mixture more syrupy). 
Add the cornflakes and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until coated with the chocolate syrup. Place spoonfuls of the mixture in to paper cases and leave for an hour or two until cold and set.

*Recipe taken from The Children's Cookery Book by Zita Alden and Yvonne Bourbon (out of print). Pin It

Hummus (Vegan)

I know some people think that life's too short to make their own hummus, but it it's really easy to make.

If you like super-smooth hummus, you need a decent food processor, but it's way cheaper than shop bought and tastes just as good, if not better! Look out for cheap chickpeas in the world food aisle of you local supermarket, or save even more money by soaking and cooking dried chickpeas.

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Grated zest and juice of ½ a lemon
• 3 tbsp light tahini paste
• A good pinch each of ground black pepper, cumin and paprika (or more to taste)
• 2-4 tbsp extra lemon juice or boiled water to thin, if needed 

Empty the chickpeas into a blender/food processor. Add all the rest of the ingredients and start to blend.
Stop every few seconds and stir the mixture. Add some extra liquid, if needed.
Repeat until you have the consistency you like.
Chill until needed and serve with warm pitta bread.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: You can make hummus with just about any pulses, such as cannellini beans, butter beans or haricot beans. You will generally need to add less liquid, as these beans are softer than chickpeas.
Swap the lemon zest for other flavourings such as sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, roasted peppers etc.

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