Chili Lemon Hummus

This is not hummus as you know it! I used the hummus base [chickpeas and tahini] and added a lot of spice and flavor to it! First of all I dont use water to thin it, but lemon! And I like my hummus thick. So if you like to thin it add more lemon or water. Up to you. The CCL in the title stands for chili, lemon, and cumin, which are the leading actors in this!

You need:

1 can 15oz drained chickpeas

1 or 2 tbsp brown (wholegrain) tahini
1/3 cup+2tbsp squeezed lemon

2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

1/2 tsp salt [or to taste]

1/2 tsp veggie seasoning

1tsp scant cumin

1/2tsp chilli flakes [or to taste]
Place chickpeas in your food processor and blend them. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again, until smooth. Adjust thickness to your tastes.Now serve it in a nice bowl and you can start dipping anything you want in it!
Suggestions : carrots, wholewheat pita, cucumber

Eggplant Slices

This is one my favorite foods that my mum makes when she cooks for me! Eggplant slices topped with onions… I know it doesn’t look very pretty in the picture but thats because its not…The taste though, is amazing, so give it a chance.

You need :

2 large eggplants

4 large onions

2 cloves of garlic

1 cup sieved tomatoes

1 tsp tabasco (or more)

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tsp salt

2 tsp squeezed lemon

First you have to cut the eggplant in slices (about 1cm thick). To do that you need to cut off the top of the eggplant and then cut it in the middle vertically separating the two halves. Once you do that you have to start making the slices. Thats the hard part. Do it slowly so you can be in control of the thickness(im not joking). Dont cut them too thin but not too thick either because they will come out undercooked. As i mentioned before the ideal thickness is 1cm. You should have around ten to twelve slices.

Now spray with non-stick spray a baking dish and arrange the slices in it. Brush each slice with a bit of olive oil and place in the oven at 150c and leave them there to soften while you are preparing the topping. Cut the onions in circles, crush the garlic and place on a big frying pan. Saute for a few minutes then add sieved tomatoes, vegetable stock cube, tabasco , lemon and salt. Cook until onions are soft (12 minutes) and remove from heat.

Take the dish out of the oven and with a spoon top the slices with what you just made on the pan (onions with sauce). Put it back in the oven and bake them at 150c for 20 minutes and then for 180 for 10 minutes. The eggplants will become soft and should look like that:

Serve with french fries or couscous!!