Creamy, rich, spicy, can't-get-enough-of hummus.

Yesterday I did a Very Dietitiany Thing. Having being obsessed with Angela's vegan recipes from Oh She Glows for the last week, I got an urgent, almost primal urge to own... Chia seeds.

What are chia seeds?

I didn't know. But I wanted them.

Unfortunately, I live in Mpumalanga. In South Africa. And I'm not entirely sure there is anyone else in this gorgeous country, let alone this province, who has heard of chia seeds. But! Once Amanda has decided she is going to spend money, she does not like to leave empty handed. Thus, after leaving Disc-Chem, this happened:

What a clichéd dietitian I can be sometimes.

I don't really know what to do with whey protein. I've never even thought about owning real flaxseeds.

And please don't ask me why I bought carob milkshake powder. I just did, and we're going to have to live with it.

Now, this brought about a mini-dilemma: The limited space in my cupboard for my growing collection of "dietitian" foods that I don't really know how to use. (Any ideas on barley? Or how to use soya mince? These are the problems that a compulsive-shopper-slash-unlikely-dietitian has to deal with.) So in order to fit my new products into my tiny kitchen, I had a small spring-clean and re-organisation.

A super-organised cupboard. For about ten minutes.

This (finally) brings me to the crux of my story. During said spring-clean, I unearthed a jar of tahini that my dear Best bought for me months ago. And what do we do with tahini? We make hummus! Yay!

As I was about to sit down with my finished hummus, I took a taste and immediately knew I had forgotten an essential ingredient. It may seem insignificant, but a really important part of this recipe is a good quality olive oil. Just a small dash adds a richness and depth that you cannot rival.

Yield

About 500mL hummus, or 5 servings of 100mL.

Ingredients

Ingredients for hummus

1.  1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained (perhaps you are the dazzling type who cooks your own. In that case, I salute you, and you'll need about 200g raw chickpeas to make 400g cooked).
2. 50mL tahini
3. 2 garlic cloves
4. 50mL lemon juice
5. 10mL (2 tsp) cumin
6. 5mL (1 tsp) cayenne pepper
7. 5mL (1 tsp) rock salt, or to taste
8. 30mL (2 tbsp) olive oil, or to taste

Method

1. Blend all the ingredients until #6 together. 
2. Add water to achieve the desired consistency
3. Now add the salt and oil. It would be better to play around with these two ingredients, so that you can get the exact taste you're looking for.
4. For serving, sprinkle with paprika and maybe add an extra splash or two of olive oil for texture and taste.

Whilst searching for carrots, I found a 2 week old cauliflower head lurking at the back of my fridge. On a related note, I think I need to spring-clean my refrigerator too. Regardless, it was a pleasant surprise (isn't that what we all want from our fridges?) so I cut it into florets and used the hummus as a dip. 

Serve hummus with veggie crudites

Hummus served with vegetable crudites makes an amazing snack. Alternatively, chuck it on sandwiches for a low-fat, high-protein alternative to mayonnaise or on wraps with some yummy avocado and greens.

What do you think would be a great use for this amazingly versatile dip?