Posts tagged hummus

Hummus B’lahmeh (Crispy lamb topped hummus)

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Hummus B’lahmeh (Crispy lamb topped hummus)

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e all know and love our hummus especially in England as it lines the shelves in various delicious and odd disguises (Marmite hummus now exists…discuss). This though. This Middle Eastern theatrical version takes it to the next level! Its hard to resist the look of it with a file of warm freshly baked flatbreads and a glass of something cold…

A simple (super speedy) way to ‘pimp’ your hummus if you have some guests round as a nibble with drinks or as a great sharing starter (are we allowed to share food during a pandemic!?).

You can of course use a packet of hummus from the shop if you don’t want to make your own but it really takes seconds (blender permitting) and doesn’t contain half as much oil.

Makes 1 large dish to share

Serve with some lovely toasted pitta or some homemade flatbreads (see here for my recipe) for scooping up all those lovely lamb juices!

  • 1 can chickpeas – I use Napolina as they are the best canned version, creamy and large. I find supermarket versions like little chickpea bullets and won’t give you a creamy hummus
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 small red chilli
  • 1.5 tbsp spice mix (see below) OR add in some spices of your choosing. Or, leave off if you want a more authentic hummus
  • Extra virgin/rapeseed oil
  • Minced lamb (about 300g)
  • 1 heaped tsp each ground cumin, coriander, spice mix, smoked paparika
  • Pinch chilli flakes
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • 1 shallot, chopped finely
  • Handful dill/parsely, chopped
  • Handful pine nuts
  1. Put the chickpeas, juice of 1 lemon, tahini, garlic, chilli and spice mix in a blender and add some salt and pepper. Add a good few tbsp’s of good oil and blend well. Add a splash of boiling water to thin this down to your desired consistency (you can also add more oil but I don’t like to make my hummus too oily when water works just fine and helps emulsify).
  2. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.
  3. Heat a frying pan on high and lightly toast your pine nuts until golden. Remove and set aside.
  4. Add splash of olive/vegetable oil to the pan and lightly soften your chopped shallot for a few minutes.
  5. Turn up the heat and add the minced lamb, using a fork to break it down into pieces. Fry quickly until turning nice and brown and then add your ground spices, chilli flakes, cinnamon and some generous salt and pepper.
  6. Mix well and fry until the lamb is just cooked (taste and adjust seasoning with more spices/S&P) and then remove from the heat so it doesn’t dry out.
  7. Spoon your hummus onto a nice shallow bowl or plate making a slight well in the middle.
  8. Top with your lamb and scatter with your fresh herbs and pines nuts.
  9. Serve drizzled with some good oil, the juice of the 1/2 lemon and with some lovely warm pillowy flat breads or pitta for scooping!

Spice Mix – I make a batch of this and keep in a jar. Made by toasting 1 tbsp each of the following and then grinding in a pestle and mortar: fennel seed, cumin seed, coriander seed, fenugreek and mustard seed with 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamon pods and 1 star anise.

Nectarine, Basil, Balsamic & Halloumi Salad (With a side of hummus)

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Nectarine, Basil, Balsamic & Halloumi Salad (With a side of hummus)

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his dish started how many of my ‘simple’ dishes start. A long day at work and getting home later than planned leaves me wanting something easy and quick and halloumi is a great satisfying win that helps add to my increasingly vegetarian dishes.

Grabbing salad ingredients from the fridge to use up before a summer holiday, I was happy to see my favourite combination just waiting to be thrown together. Nectarine, basil, balsamic. If you haven’t tried these yet then I thoroughly recommend making this salad. Or is time is short, just try adding these 3 delights together in a bowl…and eating on some toasted buttered sourdough..and top with slow cooked scambeled eggs…OK you may need more time if you get carried away like me.

The salad is an excellent on its own, but talking of getting carried away, a side dish of warm floury flatbreads and lemony homemade hummus is never a bad idea. So while my halloumi fried, I made a quick humus. And if you have a food processor, then making hummus at home is literally a very quick job. Its the unlucky pot washer that suffers.

Serves 2 (greedy people)

  • 2 ripe nectarines, chopped into 2cm cubes
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 small head broccoli, chopped in florets
  • 1 pack of halloumi, cubed
  • 1 little gem lettuce, chopped
  • 1 bag mixed salad – rocket, watercress, spinach etc
  • Handful basil leaves, torn
  • Handful flaked almonds, dry roasted
  • 1 lemon
  • Balsamic glaze (I like the one that Odysea sell). I’d avoid using the thinner vinegar as it doesn’t work as well here.
  • Flatbreads, homemade or shop bought, warmed
  1. Add the broccoli florets to a baking tray, season and drizzle very lightly with some sunflower oil. Roast the broccoli for 15 minutes at 200°C. Once roasted, remove from the oven and then leave to cool slightly.
  2. Add the nectarines, avocado, basil leaves, and almonds to a bowl. Season.
  3. Add the little gem leaves, salad leaves and roasted broccoli florets to a large serving bowl or platter. Add the nectarine combination and toss together.
  4. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon and then a generous amount of balsamic glaze. Toss to combine, taste and season.
  5. Fry the halloumi cubes in a little sunflower oil in a hot frying pan until golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel and add to the top of the salad.
  6. Serve with extra balsamic, warm flatbreads and some tasty hummus.

Hummus

  • 1 x can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 large tbsp tahini
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • Handful of fresh coriander
  • 1/2 green or red chilli
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp spice mix
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sumac – to serve
  1. To make the hummus, add all ingredients to a food processor and season.
  2. Blend until smooth, adding as much extra virgin olive oil to loosen to your desired texture.
  3. Spoon into a serving dish, drizzle with oil and scatter with sumac.

Butterbean ‘Hummus’ with Broccoli, garlic, almonds & chilli

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Butterbean ‘Hummus’ with Broccoli, garlic, almonds & chilli

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ne of the bonus’ for both me and my family & friends is that a cookery book is always a well received gift. Especially if its Middle Eastern inspired. My latest addition is both extremely enlightening and beautifully and factually written! ‘The Jewelled Table’  by Bethany Kehdy.

Having claimed a Middle Eastern ‘style’ to my own food with a heavy twist from almost everywhere, it was interesting to learn some truths about some of the dishes that are now such staples in our UK diets. Hummus most notably. 

  1. ‘Hummus’ means ‘chickpeas’. Hence why this recipe isn’t technically hummus but simply steals the tahini and lemon juice components that make our traditional hummus.
  2. No one country owns hummus. Thus, I think its OK to cook it with your own interpretation.

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hilst I adore Bethany’s recipes, I’m never one to simply follow and obey. That and I had less time on my hands than a few of her hummus’ called for so I adapted. Mainly from her recommendation to use dried chickpeas. I’ve found a fantastic brand (Napolina) which I will always use so sadly I am a little to lazy to follow this hearty advise.

I’ve have interpreted her ‘Mock hummus’ and added a few bits of my own. I’ve also topped it with the topping from another recipe (‘Butter Hummus’). But admittedly, the delicious and inspiring toppings in this book will make you simply want to create and heat upon a pot of supermarket…’hummus’? 

I hope you’re not confused about hummus. 

Adapted from ‘Mock Hummus, The Jewelled Table’.

Serves 2 (as a side)

Hummus

  • 1 can butter beans, drained.
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 2-3 tbsp tahini
  • 1-2 lemons, juice
  • 1 tbsp spice mix (see tip below). Equally you could use any spices you feel like.
  • Salt and pepper

  1. Blend the butter beans, tahini, juice of 1 lemon, spices and seasoning in a processor until smooth. 
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning or add more lemon if needed.
  3. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and keep at room temperature.

Braised Broccoli

  • Tenderstem broccoli
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1/2 red chilli, sliced
  • Handful flaked almonds
  • 3 sundried tomatoes, drained and sliced thinly
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped

 

  1. Heat a frying pan on medium high and add a splash of rapeseed oil. Stri fry the broccoli for about 5-8 minutes until beginning to cook and crisp.
  2. Add the garlic and chilli and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until just beginning to turn golden (careful not to burn the garlic)
  3. Add the flaked almonds and fry until golden.
  4. Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs and the tomatoes.
  5. Elegantly place on top of the hummus and serve immediately.

I served mine with fired halloumi and some warm flatbreads for dipping!

Enjoy.

TIP: Spice mix: Made by toasting all whole spices in a hot frying pan until fragrant. Then grind in a pestle and mortar. (The cinnamon can be removed and any empty cardamon pods) 1tbsp of each fennel; cumin; coriander; fenugreek; black/yellow mustard seed; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cardamon pods; 1 star anise 

Baked Hummus

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Baked Hummus

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ealthy’ food could not be more in our face at the moment with celebrity chefs in the media, tortuous instagram or yet another cookbook launch. While some are giving out a positive message on the whole I can’t help but feel that those that are taking it to the extreme are frankly just quite annoying? What ever happened to a balanced diet I don’t know. Some fads I have kindly embraced – avocado toast for example with lashings of lemon and maldon salt, but at this time of year the thought of a raw pizza (whatever that is…a cracker I think!?) washed down with a kale and spinach juice sends icy and fun-killing shivers down my spine. What with January being plagued with this health theme and matched with the chilly winter weather we’ve been experiencing lately I am craving warmth from soups, stews and slow baked dishes which by all means can be healthy too.

Take the humble, versatile and much loved hummus. Warm and familiar when deep fried as falafel, there is nothing stopping it being baked and devoured ‘fondue style’? And yes, you are more than welcome to imagine you are enjoying a fondue….just with far less milk, fat and cheese hangovers. Eat as you would fondue or enjoy smothered on your favourite toasted bread.

A delicious, healthy adaptation for the winter weather.

Serves about 4

  • 1 can drained chickpeas (250g approx)
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds (dry toasted and then ground)
  • 1 teaspoon spice mix (see here – optional)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 3 tbsp thick yoghurt
  • Seasoning
  • Handful pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp butter
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Place all the ingredients (except the pine nuts and butter) into a food processor and blend until thoroughly smooth. You may need to scrape down the sites a few times.
  3. Add more yoghurt or oil to vary the constancy to your liking.
  4. Spoon the hummus into a small ovenproof serving dish or bowl
  5. Heat a large frying pan and dry toast the pine nuts until golden. Add the butter and remove from the what while it browns and melts.
  6. Top the hummus with the buttery nuts and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  7. The mixture will warm and turn golden. If you use a thin consistency it may even rise a little.
  8. Serve with crudités, warm toasted pitta breads, rye bread etc.

This is lovely served warm as a shared starter with crudités or warm pittas. Alternatively as a light lunch I had mine smothered on lemony avocado on toasted rye bread and sprinkled with flaky salt…..

Jess - Warm Hummus Avocado_

Nori hummus and raw slaw Wraps

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Nori hummus and raw slaw Wraps

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aw food (i.e. food that has not been cooked, treated or processed in any way above 115°F) seems to be all the craze at the moment with the idea that above this selected temperature food starts to loose essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. However, with a background in physiological science and a keen interest in nutrition I am fully aware of the nutrients that our bodies need and so for me (although a keen health freak and yogi)  it is hard to see the true benefits of a 100% raw diet. Saying that, dabbling in the craze can only leave you happy, full, and downright smug and righteous.

So last weekend in the hot and sunny weather and with the influence of Wimbledon’s top athletes competing as we ate, I took my sceptical mother to Nama, Notting hill an artisan raw food ‘oasis’ for lunch. And I was hugely pleased and excited by it! Albeit we chose well, I would not have been left as happy had I chosen the raw ‘pizza’ (courgette and walnut cracker base topped with vegetables). However, a hearty salad and a falafel raw ‘wrap’ left us nourished and smiling as we washed it down with pear, cucumber, cinnamon, maple and apple juice and matcha lattes.

So home again and inspired I headed to the kitchen to use some of Nama’s influence in my mid week dinner. Influence is the word here. This is not technically ‘raw’ but its a damn good compromise.

Makes about 4 (with leftovers)

  • 1 small red cabbage
  • 1 yellow courgette
  • 1 green courgette
  • Large bunch mint, coriander and parsley
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds (lightly toasted)
  • 1-2 limes
  • 1 x hummus recipe
  • 2 avocados
  • 1 x packet roasted seaweed sheets (Nori sheets)

Spiced herby Hummus

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 bunch coriander and in addition, either mint, parsley, basil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp yoghurt
  • Salt and pepper
  • Splash of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ heaped tsp of the following mix of ground spices (For the ground mix, toast 1tbsp of each fennel, cumin, coriander , black mustard and  fenugreek seed with 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamon pods and 1 star anise in a dry frying pan until hot, fragrant and beginning to pop. Remove and grind in a pestle and mortar until fine).
  1. Start with the vegetable ‘slaw’. In a processor, shred the cabbage and courgettes until fine and mix well. Finely chop the herbs and add these with some seasoning. Add the sesame seeds and lime juice and set aside.
  2. Make the hummus. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a processor (expect the oil) and pulse to a coarse paste. You may need to wipe the sides down as you go. Add a splash of oil to loosen if you like.
  3. Cut your avocados in halve and then slice each halve into chunky chip shaped sliced.
  4. Now assemble! Spread a layer of hummus in the middle of a sheet of Nori. Top with the slices of avocado and then with a layer of slaw.
  5. Fold the short ends in and then roll (with the long end facing you) the nori seaweed wrapper over the filling tightly and press together.
  6. Slice in halve on the diagonal and enjoy!

Jess - Nori Humuus Roll#2