Go on.. take a dip! No mezze is complete without a bowl of hummus, and there are so many tasty ways to enjoy!

Food Pairings with Hummus 

• Spread hummus on your favourite breads and biscuits
• Use instead of mayonnaise or mustard with a dish
• Dip pita or tortilla chips in hummus
• Make hummus mashed potatoes for extra nutty and creamy flavour
• Pair your favourite veggies with hummus for a delicious lunch- or dinnertime snack
• Make a Mediterranean inspired dinner with fish topped with a big spoonful of hummus
• Pair your favourite chicken, meatballs or strips of steak with hummus
• You can even dip your Haloumi cheese in a spicy hummus   
   

Traditional:
A great spread of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.

Ingredients

3 cups (375 g) chickpeas (drained with liquid reserved)

3 cloves garlic

1 ¼ cup olive oil

1 cup Tahini

3 lemons (juiced)

Salt to taste

Tahini Paste Ingredients

1 cup sesame seeds

4 tablespoons grape seed oil

Pinch of salt

Method

To make the Tahini

• Add sesame seeds to a wide and dry saucepan over medium-low heat
• Toast the seeds stirring constantly until the seeds become fragrant and lightly coloured (3 to 5 minutes) - be careful as sesame seeds can burn quickly
• Transfer toasted seeds to a baking sheet or large plate and let it cool completely
• Add seeds to a bowl of food processor then process until a crumbly paste (1 minute)
• Add 3 tablespoons of grape seed oil, keep blending slowly
• Process for another 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor a couple of times. Consistency needs to be smooth and not gritty
• Include a pinch of salt and mix for another 5 minutes
• Jar it for later use
   

To make Hummus

• Place garlic in food processor, chop thoroughly
• Add chickpeas and blend into a paste
• Pour 1 cup olive oil, lemon juice, salt to the processor.
• Stir Tahini thoroughly and add it to the mixture
• Blend until smooth and creamy
• If the hummus is to thick or still has tiny bits of chickpeas, with the food processor turned on slowly add 1 to 3 tablespoons of the chickpea liquid
• Once smooth place the hummus in a bowl and top with ¼ cup of olive oil

Ready for serving with vegetables or variety of breads
 

Avocado Hummus
It the best of both worlds, guacamole and hummus combined – just delicious!

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados cored and peeled

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)

¼ teaspoon cumin

Red pepper flakes and lemon slices for garnish

Method:

Combine the traditional hummus ingredients (see above), avocados, cilantro and cumin in the bowl of the food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour two table spoons of olive oil (traditional recipe ingredient) over the avocado hummus and the red pepper flakes and lemon slices as garnish.

Roasted red pepper Hummus
This is slightly smoky, sweet with just enough spicy kick.

Ingredients

2 red bell pepper (remove the core)

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon of cumin

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)

2 cups of Hummus

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180° C
• Place the bell pepper upside down onto a baking tray
• Drizzle the olive oil over the peppers
• Grill for about 15 minutes until charred and tender
• Remove from the oven and let it cool and drain the oil
• Remove the skin
• Combine traditional hummus recipe ingredients (see above) add the peppers, smoked paprika and cumin to the hummus mixture and process until smooth. Pour the ¼ cup of olive oil over the roasted pepper hummus

Sweet Potato Hummus
A little sweet and spicy. Just great with tortilla chips, veggies or straight from the spoon.

Ingredients

3 cups of sweet potatoes (2 small sweet potatoes)

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon honey  

Method

• Fill a pot with water
• Add a steamer basket and sweet potatoes
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
• Sweet potatoes must be fork tender
• Drain and rinse under cold water to cool down
• Combine the traditional hummus ingredients with the sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, coriander and honey in the food processor. Blend until smooth.
• Add oil and serve with an array of your favourite breads and veggies

NOTE: Best serve room temperature

ENJOY!