Today’s healthy recipe on our new Mediterranean food journey, 21st Sept 23

I was a little surprised when I read what foods were allowed on the Mediterranean diet!

Potatoes: Both white and sweet potatoes, even though they are often thought of as a high carb veggie. Potatoes are very versatile, have high levels of potassium and contain vitamin C and vitamin B6.

Rice: You can serve any type of rice whilst on this diet, white, brown, or basmati rice. But, whole grain rice is preferable, as it contains more fiber.

Bread: You can still enjoy bread as part of the Mediterranean Diet, just swap your white bread for whole grain bread. Whole grain breads contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Legumes: Legumes are a good source of protein but they are also high in carbohydrates. Legumes include beans, chickpeas and lentils, all acceptable on the Mediterranean diet.

Today we are going to look at delicious Hummus.

In Lebanon, it is a staple food, often eaten every day, not merely a dip but rather a main dish or a breakfast.

Hummus is a smooth and creamy puree of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is a good source of fiber, along with vitamins and minerals like magnesium, copper, folate, and iron. Some of the best ways to eat hummus are with sliced veggies, using them as dips, such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, and cucumber sticks. You can also dip pieces of wholemeal flatbread or wholemeal pita bread into this delicious dish.

It is super easy and quick to make, we serve it regularly to guests joining us for barbecues It looks attractive and very appetising. In Lebanon, it is often served as part of a meze with falafel, kibbeh and tabbouleh.

In the heart of Beirut there is a fantastic restaurant serving a variety of chickpea based dishes. It is extremely popular and according to my husband one of the best places to buy hummus in the city. They do not have a website but this YouTube video will give you an idea of the foods being served. The name of the restaurant (featured first in the video) is Abou Hassan Hummus & Fool. If you are ever in Beirut do pay it a visit. 👨‍🍳

The recipe we use for our delicious hummus is this one: The Best Lebanese Hummus it is always very popular. In Hungary, we are unable to buy the delicate pine nuts that are scattered on the top, which is a shame. We garnish with paprika and cumin.

Do you like hummus, what do you eat it with? I would love to know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and look out for the next Mediterranean recipe idea.