The Start of this foodie journey

 

How to start, how do I explain my love of cooking, food, spices, the magic that comes from putting these things together and then seeing the look of pleasure on people’s faces after they have taken that first bite or even smell. Especially my partner, we haven’t been together long but (the worst word that can be uttered according to him) we have bonded over our love of food, our senses light up even when we smell something good. Saturdays are spent watching food programs getting ideas for meals, me scribbling down recipes as fast as I can, and then the two of us sitting there trying to remember which ingredients I missed. I always tend to make them work somehow, obviously I’m not missing out on any of the main ingredients that are needed for these fab eats that one of us will cook up, as they always turn out great.

We were sitting on the couch not long after we became a couple and I said that I have always wanted to write a cook book, and he said why not, he has sat through some awful cooking shows over the last months whilst I’ve been researching how to go about it, but (there is that word again) it seems like starting here is the better plan,  it could take years to get published, and then who is going to buy a cookbook from someone they have never heard of. 

So, the big old internet is going to be my tool for a while, and I’ll see how I go. I’m a little nervous truth be told, so I’m not even going to start with one of my recipes, my gorgeous daughter Aine, asked me to include her recipe in this, she is such a special little lady and is growing up so quickly, she has fought so many demons and she thoroughly deserves to have the first recipe in which I hope will be a successful blog on cooking, smells spices and even great deals that are out there like spice pots, and garlic crushers, there is always a good deal if you know where to look.

 

Aine’s SalaHum Crackers

  • ·         1 packet of sliced salami (German) from your local supermarket
  • ·         1 tub of humous (there are plenty of great shop bought ones out there, ill add the recipe for mine after this)
  • ·         1 packet of rivercote sweet chili rice crackers (Lidl)

 

These really are fun, and very YUM too. So, you must put the salami on the cracker first and cut (or tear) the salmi around the cracker so they are the same size, then add the humous to them.

That’s it, yes, I know it isn’t the longest recipe on the planet and not complicated at all, but making these with my daughter is always so much fun, and always puts a smile on my face. If food makes you smile your definitely winning!!!

 

As I said I’m going to add my humous recipe, if you are adding chili, remember to hold down the lid on your processer, the first time I made this I didn’t and the lid shot off and I got chili in my eyes, its not fun, although I can laugh about it now!

 

Homemade Humous

·         1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained.

·         60ml cold water, have a little more to one side if you want the consistency a little thinner.

·         2 cloves of garlic, peeled.

·         1 Lemon, juiced.

·         3 tbsp Tahini

·         1 tbsp of olive oil to garnish, I don’t because it basically gets eaten straight away.

·         ½ tsp chilli, this is totally optional

Rinse, id say two or three times, the chickpeas under the tap with cold water and then add them to your food processor with your water and blend for around 1 minute. Then add your garlic (I use two cloves but less is fine, remember it’s your taste buds), lemon and tahini, and your chilli if you have opted for this. Blend for around two minutes and taste, at this point I imagine it will still be slightly gritty, so keep blending, if at this point you feel it’s still too thick add some of that extra water I told you about, a dribble at a time, you don’t want it too runny!

Now eat! Whether it’s with Aine’s SalaHum Crackers or crudites, or on its own if you love it like I do. Please let me know what you think, I do love to find out how people get on, and if my instructions are thorough enough.

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