So I am in no way a dietitian, but I have read my fair share on health and nutrition, and feel I
have a pretty good grasp on what we should be putting in our bodies. I’m currently working in Paris as a
pastry chef; I’d be lying if I said I didn’t eat croissants, cheese and chocolate on a daily basis.
But I like to think I make up for it with these healthy meals!

So let’s talk healthy. Hummus is a spread/ dip/ accompaniment; a staple in this diet of mine. It
fits most dietary restrictions, free of gluten, dairy, and animal, and it’s a great source of protein.
However, the quality and nutritional value of your hummus can vary depending on your source.
Lots of store bought hummus’ are packed with vegetable oils, additives and preservatives. They
are, for the most part, pretty high in fats, and not necessarily the good fats we want in our diet. It
is also, hands down, one if the easiest things to make, so I suggest you never buy it again, and
just create your own from now on! Demanding much?!

Photoed below are four hummus’ I whipped up this afternoon, all derived from one ‘mother’
hummus, your basic chickpea- lemon- garlic- tahini- olive oil recipe (pictured bottom left). From
that one hummus, I made three different variations, switching the flavours and adding colour to
the plate! Moving clockwise from the ‘mother hummus’ we have the Lemony Beet, the Smoky
Roasted Eggplant (my favourite) and the Extraaa Garlic and Spinach hummus. We are visual
eaters, so I understand if you think ‘what the fuck is that pink stuff’, but you won’t know till you
try! And, if you ever decide to make a good old veggie platter, you can really impress the in laws
or your girlfriends by making these colourful dips!

I do eat a fair amount of homemade hummus; not only with raw veggies, but I’ll put it on toast
with an avocado, I’ll dip my roasted chicken in it. My latest addiction is a poached egg on top of
raw spinach, with a dollop of the mother hummus. Nothing like a shot of garlic first thing in the
morning! I hope you enjoy this little hummus display, and let me know what you think! Any
questions, suggestions, recipes you’d like to see, send them over!

Mother Hummus
Chickpeas, rinsed- 2 cups
Garlic- 2 cloves
Lemon- 1⁄2 juiced
Tahini- 2 tbsp.
Extra virgin olive oil- 1⁄2 c.
Water- 3⁄4-1 c.
Salt to taste

Very simply- put everything in your blender, except the water. Blend on high, gradually adding
the water to your desired consistency. If you want a lighter hummus, omit the tahini altogether,
as this is a sesame seed paste, and adds the fat component. If you’re looking for a thicker,
chunkier hummus, hold back on the water.

Don’t forget- water will dilute your flavour, hence why it’s not seen in many conventional recipes.

It does, however, extend your hummus, and creates a lighter overall product. Not into the water-
use EVOO to up the flavour and achieve your desired consistency. Use this as a rough

guideline. I also use canned chickpeas for ease and to save time, but cooking your own
chickpeas from the dried state works as well!

Lemony Beet Hummus
Mother Hummus 1⁄4 above recipe
Beet the size of tennis ball (roughly) 1pc.Juice of one lemon
Sumac

Take your raw beet, unpeeled, and boil in a pot of water till a knife can be inserted without force.
Once it’s cooked, run under cold water and quickly peel by rubbing between your hands. *You
will have pink hands by the end of this* Blend the beet and extra lemon juice with your hummus,
and voila! Season with a bit of sumac if you have it, a fresh and lemony spice used in Middle
Eastern cuisine. Simple, I know.

Smoky Roasted Eggplant Hummus
Mother Hummus 1⁄4 above recipe
Eggplant 1 small
EVOO 1tbsp.
Smoked paprika to taste

Cut the eggplant into four (lengthwise) and place in baking tray skin side down. Drizzle with your
extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of salt, and roast for roughly 25 minutes in 400F oven. You want
the eggplant crispy and charred. Once dark on the outside and soft inside, scrape off the ‘meat’
(you don’t want the skin), and blend that with your hummus and smoked paprika. Note- smoked
paprika is very overpowering, so use at your own discretion.
Extraaa Garlic and Spinach Hummus
Mother Hummus 1⁄4 above recipe
Fresh spinach 1 generous handful
Garlic 2 cloves

Place the raw spinach in a pot or frying pan with a tiny splash of water. Medium heat, stir that
around. You just want to wilt the spinach so only around 2-3 minutes on the heat. Lots of liquid
will come out, that’s ok, but don’t include that in your blender. Take the wilted spinach, blendwith hummus and extra garlic, and you’ve got yourself an iron rich dip in minutes! Not into garlic,
don’t put it in! Simple!

There ya have it people, four different hummus’, all with very different flavour profiles.
Remember the mother hummus has been divided into four, so calculate the recipes accordingly
if you want to just make one of these variations! Like I said before, don’t hesitate to ask
questions or make suggestions for further posts.
Enjoy! and Yard Hard baby.