Back to Basics

Sometimes I can't believe the things that we do to make food and eating SO complicated. I promise you, three years ago I didn't want to touch chickpeas because they were being pushed as bad for us due to their carbohydrate content and the anti-nutrients that they contain. Three years along the line and this same narrative is being played out, just by different parties, but the thing is that legumes are actually an amazing (affordable) inclusion in a well-balanced diet. They contain loads of beneficial dietary fibre, which our gut can benefit from, and if prepared correctly they may be more than fine for your tummy to handle.

Something I did when I started including more pulses and legumes in my diet was to introduce them little by little, to get my tummy used to them. Legumes are very in high FODMAPs, specifically galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), and can cause gassiness and bloating in many people, but these symptoms can vary from person to person. By introducing legumes little by little, starting with 1/4 cup a day for a few days and increasing the amount slowly from there, I found that my tummy was able to adjust to consuming more legumes quite well. As already mentioned, the way in which we prepare legumes can make a big difference, for example tinned lentils contain less GOS than boiled lentils. This is because GOS is water-soluble (meaning it can 'dissolve' in water) and leaches out of the lentils during processing and storage.

Legumes are amazing for you, seriously. They're packed with beneficial fibre, and are generally very afforable (so are pretty good for your bank balance too) :)

Spicy Coriander & Chilli Hummus

Now onto today's recipe. I have fallen in love with making Pick Up Lime's hummus recipes from scratch (seriously, check out this, this, and this one if you want a few go-to hummus recipes). Sadia prefers to use whole food fat sources instead of loads of extra oil that is usually called for in hummus recipes. She uses more tahini than normal as the main source of fat in the recipe and adds a little bit of water instead of extra oil to make the hummus creamy and delicious. This recipe of mine was created out of the blue when I needed to use a whole box of coriander that was about to go off. For coriander haters, I'm sorry, I have learned to love it and this is one of my favourite recipes. For coriander lovers, enjoy :)

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 x 400 g can, drained and rinsed well)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 Tbsp tahini (plus an extra 1-2 Tbsp for a creamier hummus)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1-2 handfuls of fresh coriander (adjust according to your taste)
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Methods

1. Place all ingredients except for the chickpeas in a food processor. Blend on high until well combined.
2. Add the chickpeas and blend on high. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides.
3. Process until the chickpeas are well blended and a smooth consistency is achieved. Add a bit of extra water if necessary to loosen up the hummus a bit.
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Original post can be found on my blog Taste & See!

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