The food of the gods!
Everytime I get a junk food craving, I eat houmous. It's brilliant. Fill the fridge with the stuff. Nowt quite like the smoothness of fresh houmous or the tang of days old houmous. Plus you get to smell like garlic, one of the better odours!
My cravings tend to be situational. If I'm eating out, not liking the thought of twiddling my thumbs while everyone tucks in, I might cave in and get a dessert, or if I'm eating on the go I might grab the first thing I see, which is usually a pork pie. At home I usually have it under control, if I buy only healthy food I can eat only healthy food.
Made my own for the first time this weekend and it is fantastic (better than the best shop bought ones I've had). Worked out at about £1 for approx 400g (twice the size of a supermarket tub) which will last us for days.
You need a food processor or blender and the following ingredients:
1 400g tin of chickpeas (organic if you can get them)
About 2/3 of the juice of a lemon.
A good punch of salt.
1 crushed clove of garlic.
2 teaspoons of tahini (this is a sesame seed paste you can get in larger supermarkets. My local Sainsburys keeps it in a section called "speciality ingredients". Costs a couple of quid, but you'll get about 10 batches from one jar).
About 5 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil.
Drain the chickpeas and retain the water from the tin. Rinse them under the cold tap. Throw them in the blender with all the other ingredients (and about 3 spoons of the chickpea water you held back), except the oil, which you should add gradually after you've started blending. You can adjust the amount of garlic, salt and lemon juice a little according to your own taste. Piece of piss. Should store ok in the fridge for about 4 or 5 days.
Serve with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, to dip with carrot batons or warm wholemeal pitta. Yum.
