TAHINI SAUCE

A simple sauce made from that staple of the middle east, Tahini. Tahini is made from sesame seeds and is an essential ingredient to various dishes from the middle east including hummous and Baba ganoush. Tahini sauce can be a wonderful accompaniment to grilled or roasted veg, or even crudite, Fish and falafel pair well, but if like me you can throw out the rule book and eat the sauce with what you fancy or use as a salad dressing!

RECIPE;
3 tbsp of tahini paste
2 cloves garlic
1 lime or lemon if preferred
Water(cold)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

METHOD;
Using a pestle and mortar pound the garlic with a small pinch of sea salt, when pounded to a paste add the Tahini and combine. Add the lime juice, taste and adjust to preferred seasoning. To achieve the right consistency thin with a little water adding a tablespoon at a time, the consistency should resemble thick cream.

HUMMUS RECIPE 2

I have come to the conclusion after a little experimentation with this dish that dried and soaked chick peas give a far superior flavour to hummus than tinned, although tinned still give excellent results. On the downside there is a lengthy wait with overnight soaking and a rather long simmering time, but worth the wait to the patient cook, with the flavour not diminishing quite as fast as when made with tinned chick peas


THE RECIPE;
Serves 4

200g dried chick peas(soaked overnight)
2 tbsp tahini
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of reserved cooking water
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD;
Soak the chick peas overnight, then drain and rinse well. Cook according to manufactures instructions or approx 1hour 30 minutes.( place the chick peas in 2lt of cold water with no salt. Bring to the boil, boil for 15 minutes then reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through) Drain and refresh in cold water. Add the drained chick peas to a food processor, then blitz. Add the tahini paste,garlic, paprika, and half of the lemon, then blitz again. At this point use the 2 tbsp of reserved cooking water to loosen the hummus, blitz again and taste. After tasting, adjust seasoning with sea salt and ground pepper and add the other half of the lemon if required. Serve in dish with the remaining extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top!

NOTE;
This dish is at it's best within 4 days, but is not suitable for home freezing. Suitable for veggies and vegans.

HUMMUS(HOUMMUS) RECIPE ONE!

Although middle eastern in origin, Hummus is now widely known throughout the world. It is said that Hummus has been with us since the birth of Delia or more to the point a time span somewhere in the region of 7,000 years - whichever is true you can bet your mother in law that a food would have to be very special to last that amount of time and still evolve. Unfortunately the big stores have added their mucky paws to the evolutionary process, with there own chemical glop being passed off as hummus, and worse still they are selling them at prices, that when added up- probably work out cheaper than making your own.Worrying as it is there is a solution to this travesty. Regain your sense of pride and make your own, the extra little bit of cost will not break the bank. The taste will be far superior to supermarket slop.
This recipe requires the use of tinned chick peas, but is still very good. Hummus recipe 2 will be using dried chick peas that are soaked overnight!

THE RECIPE;

2 x 400g tins of chick peas

2 x tablespoons of tahini

1 x lemon

1 x clove garlic

1 x tsp paprika

2 x tsp of extra virgin olive oil

Seasalt and Black pepper to taste

METHOD;

Drain the chick peas in a colander and rinse thoroughly, then drain again! Add the clove of garlic to a food processor with the knife blade fitted, and pulse on full power until finely chopped! Now add the chick peas, lemon juice, tahini - plus the salt and process on full power until a paste is formed. Add the paprika and pulse again. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more salt and a little pepper if required then finish with extra virgin olive oil, give this another process, depending on the consistency that you desire! Serve as you wish but especially good with pitta or flat breads.

NOTES;

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Not suitable for home freezing and is at its best during the the first 24 hours, when placed in a refrigerator it will last 3-4 days, but a loss of flavour is to be expected. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds, that is common in ethnic grocers and supermarkets. Tahini is liable to seperate during storage, stir well before use.