Hummus

Hummus – cheap, easy, quick, nutritious and a vegan sandwich staple! What more could a hungry punk want?

Makes a decent bowlful for a few people to share

• 1 400g can of chick peas (approx 250g cooked weight)
• 1-2 tbs tahini (sesame paste)
• 1-3 cloves of garlic, depending on how much you like garlic, peeled
• 3 tbs olive oil (you can use veg oil or a mix of veg and olive if you're poor)
• Juice of one lemon
• Salt & pepper

Throw everything into a food processor of some description (the mini ones you often get with hand blenders are perfect, or you can just use a hand blender if you don't mind it a bit more rustic). Blend everything until it starts to beome smooth. You'll probably need to add a bit more oil (or water if you like) at this stage to make it creamy but still stiff enough to just about make peaks in the mix. Keep blending for a few minutes until it's soft and silky. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ideal in pitta bread with salad, as a dip, or on toast with fresh sliced tomatoes and shredded basil.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, it'll keep for a day or two that way (mine rarely lasts that long).

You can vary this easily – for a Thai-style dip (one of my faves), replace the lemon with lime, then add a good pinch of chili flakes (or powder) and a decent amount of fresh chopped coriander (you can add these after you've finished blending it for a funkier appearance). Also try adding 1/2-1 tsp of toasted and crushed cumin and/or coriander seeds during the blending for something a bit more pungent. Experiment!