As you may be aware by now, I’m a big eater of hummus. I make a huge batch every week to sell but always keep extra for myself. Whenever my friends come to visit, I always have a bowl ready and waiting in the fridge to whip out for their eating pleasure. One of my favourite flavours of hummus is roasted red pepper, which is why it’s surprising that I have taken so long to share this recipe with you. I was eating it by the truckload earlier in the summer when red peppers were in season.

I first made the bagel chips one night when I knew the girls were coming over, we had no tortillas in the freezer for me to make into chips and I knew they would be expecting something a little bit more special than a bag of crisps from the shop. As I frantically looked through the cupboards I came across a bag of bagels which desperately needed to be used. I sliced them up and cooked them and they were absolutely delicious. The perfect accompaniment to the red pepper hummus.

Ingredients

Hummus

400g of Chickpeas (soaked weight)

A large bunch of cilantro

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

1-2 lemons

1-2 tablespoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

3-4 red peppers (bell pepper)

Tahini

100ml of olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

100g of sesame seeds

Bagel Chips

2 bagels

3 tabelspoons of olive oil

Salt

1 tablespoon of rosemary (or other mixed herbs)

Directions

The first thing you need to do is soak your chickpeas. This can take between 6 hours to overnight. The longer the better in my opinion. After they have been soaked, you need to cook them. This can take a while. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker because you don’t have to top up the water as often and they won’t burn. If not you can cook them in a pan of water, they will take between 2-3 hours. Or you can skip this step and buy a can. When your chick peas are done, drain them but make sure you keep hold of that water, you will need it for the hummus.

The next step is to blend the chickpeas, you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. If they are too hard to blend, use a little of the hummus water to get things going. Some like their hummus chunky and rugged others like it smooth and silky, so blend until you get the consistency you’re happy with. If you want want an ultra silky hummus then peel off all of the skins of the chick peas before blending. It’s a pain in the ass so I never do it. Also my hummus is generally made in industrial style batches so it would probably take me a month to do it, plus I’m very lazy.

You can buy tahini in the foreign food mart in Itaewon and on iHerb and various other stores. It’s also very easy to make. Just place the garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a blender and blend for a few minutes until the seeds have been pulverized.

Once the chick peas are blended place in a large bowl and stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Then the salt, pepper and cumin. Hummus is a very personal food, so start by adding a little of each at a time until you get a taste you’re happy with. A lot of factors can affect the taste of hummus so you rarely use the exact same amount of each ingredient every time. I always get the best results when the chick peas are warm.

To make the hummus red pepper flavoured, drizzle the peppers with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until the edges are charred and the flesh is soft. Pop them in the blender with a little olive oil and blend until you have a paste, then stir it  into the hummus. Use as much or as little as you need.

To make the bagel chips, cut the bagels into 5mm slices then arrange on a baking tray. Drizzle the slices with olive oil then sprinkle on the salt and herbs. Cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes until they are brown on one side, then flip them over and cook for a few minutes of the other side. Serve with your favourite hummus and enjoy. Voilà red pepper hummus and bagel chips.

I was compelled to make this after I tried the amazing jalapeño hummus from the fabulous people at Hummus in Korea. We eat a truckload of hummus in our house, mainly because I always have lots left over from my batches that I sell. I’m always looking to make things a bit different, otherwise I would go insane eating the same hummus day after day as a work snack. I haven’t quite mastered this recipe as it’s not as lovely as the one made by the Hummus in Korea professionals but it added a nice kick that wasn’t too hot or spicy. I’d certainly urge you to give it a try if you are in the mood for something a little different.

Ingredients

Hummus

400g of Chickpeas (soaked weight)

10 slices of jalapeño (they come in a jar)

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

1-2 lemons

1-2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper pepper

Tahini

100ml of olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

100g of sesame seeds

Directions

The first thing you need to do is soak your chickpeas. This can take between 6 hours to overnight. The longer the better in my opinion. After they have been soaked, you need to cook them. This can take a while. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker because you don’t have to top up the water as often and they won’t burn. If not you can cook them in a pan of water, they will take between 2-3 hours. Or you can skip this step and buy a can. When your chick peas are done, drain them but make sure you keep hold of that water, you will need it for the hummus.

The next step is to blend the chickpeas, you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. If they are too hard to blend, use a little of the hummus water to get things going. Some like their hummus chunky and rugged others like it smooth and silky, so blend until you get the consistency you’re happy with. If you want want an ultra silky hummus then peel off all of the skins of the chick peas before blending. It’s a pain in the ass so I never do it. Also my hummus is generally made in industrial style batches so it would probably take me a month to do it, plus I’m very lazy.

You can buy tahini in the foreign food mart in Itaewon and on iHerb and various other stores. It’s also very easy to make. Just place the garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a blender and blend for a few minutes until the seeds have been pulverized.

Once the chick peas are blended, place in a large bowl and stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Then the salt, pepper, and cumin. Hummus is a very personal food, so start by adding a little of each at a time until you get a taste you’re happy with. A lot of factors can affect the taste of hummus so you rarely use the exact same amount of each ingredient every time. I always get the best results when the chick peas are warm.

To make the hummus jalapeño flavoured, blend your jalapeños with a little olive oil until you have a paste then stir it into the hummus. Use as much or as little as you need to suit your own tastes. Serve with your favourite dipping apparatus and enjoy. Voilà jalapeño flavoured hummus.

Ah hummus, there is nothing like a big tub with pita bread or chips while watching a movie. Sadly too many people in Korea, are living a life without hummus. I can’t bear to think about the suffering that some of you have to bear, constantly longing for this delicious yet healthy dip. For those living in and around Itaewon, finding hummus is no problem at all. You can even buy my hummus if you are lucky enough to live in Hae Bang Chon. But what about everyone else? You can make your own of course, check out my recipes here or here. But for some, all that soaking and blending is just too much hard work. You shouldn’t  be deprived  of all that chickpea goodness just because your lazy. Don’t worry salvation is here in the form of Hummus In Korea.

Hummus in Korea, delivers hummus directly to your door. Luckily for us delivery companies are setting up all the time, bringing us more and more of the foods  that we miss from home. So now you can have your hummus delivered, and eat it too. So it was about time I got to try some of this fabulous hummus. Coming in 6 delicious flavours (garlic, red pepper, olive, egg plant, jalapeno and spicy),  there is something for everyone. Prices vary between 5,550 – 7,000. You can buy packs of 4 (24,000) to save money or just choose your favourites.

I’m not going to lie, I tried five. After all, fat girls don’t get fat by just choosing one flavour. They were all good, but here are my favourite 3.

My top spot is a close call but I would have to give it to the roasted red pepper. A glorious orange colour and delicious taste of roasted red peppers throughout. Couldn’t get enough of this one. It was just as tasty as I hoped it would be.

Second place was surprisingly jalapeno heaven. It was the one I was least looking forward to, and thought I could just palm it off on my boyfriend. However after one fingerful, I knew he wouldn’t be getting any. It had the essence and flavour of jalapeno without being too hot or spicy. It was perfectly mild and delicious. In fact I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one since and will have to try having a go at making my own. Be sure to add this one to your order.

My third favourite was probably the crazy for garlic. The regular hummus we all know and love with extra garlic. It was well balanced and the garlic was not at all over bearing, like some can be.

To make things even better for you, hummus in Korea sell pita bread too. Sold in packs of 1 for 1,500 or 3 for 4,000 don’t forget to add a few to your order.

Fat girl I hear you cry, how can we get our hands on this wondrous hummus? Well here’s how. Click here to get to the website, fill out the form and click place order. Do a simple bank transfer to pay and sit back and relax while you wait for your delicious delivery. Delivery costs 4,500 and they deliver  Tuesday- Friday and it generally takes between 24-48 hours. Pretty cool right. Visit the website for more details and to place orders.

Well would you believe it, I am keeping up with the health kick. I am even down a couple of pounds. Who would have thought it? I even decided to forgo my Friday vanilla latte in favour of my usual hazelnut americano in a bid to stay on track. Although I am sure the second I have a few cocktails tomorrow those pounds will jump right back on. So this is my salad of week. It’s just so quick and easy to make  I can’t stop making it. Although the boyfriend has requested that we go back to falafel next week as he is growing tired of it after eating it for almost 8 days straight. I keep making it though as all the veg is already cut up and in the salad so all I have to do it put some on one of the lettuce bases I have ready made in the fridge and lunch is ready to go.

Ingredients

100g dried chick peas or 1 can

150g of black eyed beans or 1 can

1 can of kidney beans

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 cucumber

1/2 a red onion

20 cherry tomoatoes

1 large bunch of fresh herbs (cilantro, mint or basil all work)

4 tablepsoons of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 a teaspoon of salt.

Directions

If using dry beans, soak over night then cook. The chickpeas take around 3 hours, the black eyed beans around 1 and a half hours. When the beans are cooked put them in a colander and run cold water over them. If you are using canned beans empty your cans into a colander and run with cool water to wash them then leave to drain. Chop the peppers, cucumber, and onion into small pieces. Then place in a large container. Add the beans and mix. Chop your fresh herbs, then add to the bean salad. Then top with the salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Voilà easy 3 bean salad.

In keeping with my new plan to bring you a few healthier recipes, here’s one I whipped up the other night. We have regular couscous quite frequently for lunch or dinner in our house but I fancied a change. Whilst browsing on iHerb I came across this pearl couscous. It’s very similar but much bigger and has a slightly different texture. It’s quick and easy to make and the perfect side dish to take to all those barbecues you will be invited to this summer. If you are unfamiliar with iHerb then I urge you to check it out, they have all manner or grains, herbs, spices, etc which can be delivered straight to your home. You can also use my code MRV792 for $10 off your first purchase.

Ingredients

1 cup of pearl couscous

1 1/4 cup of water

1/2 a courgette

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 aubergine

8 cherry tomatoes

1/2 a red onion

5 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of mixed herbs

A few fresh basil leaves (optional)

Directions

Chop your vegetables into small pieces, then put them in an oven pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. After 10 minutes check if they are done, if not give them a good mix and put them back in for another 5-10 minutes. To make the couscous bring your cup and quarter of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the cup of couscous to the pan, turn down the heat and put on a lid. Cook until all the water has evaporated and the couscous is soft. Stir in the roasted veg and serve. Top with fresh basil if you have some. You can eat this warm or cold, as a side, or on its own. Voilà pearl couscous salad.

Since it’s Monday I thought I would offer up one of my more healthy recipes. For me summer equals salad and this is the one I took for lunch today. I’m always trying to think of interesting ways to make my lunches different and this is one of my favourites. The tastiness of a Thai curry but in the form of a salad. Switch it up and swap the chicken for some shrimp or tofu and change the veg to whatever you have in your fridge. Stop eating the crap they give you at work or those 5,000 sandwiches from Paris Baguette and get up 10 minutes earlier and make yourself some sizzling salads for lunch. This recipe will make at least 4 portions and if you keep it in an air tight container and only add the dressing on the day you want to serve it, it should last 3-4 days. Bikini season is well and truly here, so I’ll try my best to bring you a couple more skinny recipes to get you through the summer season.

Ingredients

1 or 2 chicken breasts

1-2 tablespoons of green curry paste

200g of rice noodles

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1/3 of a cucumber

50g of red cabbage

2 handfuls of lettuce leaves

A handful of coriander (cilantro)

Dressing

10 tablespoons of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame sauce

Directions

Marinate the chicken in the Thai green curry paste for about an hour, then fry it in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until it’s cooked through. Whilst the chicken is cooking, cook the noodles according to the directions then rinse in cold water and allow to cool. Cut the cucumber, peppers, and red cabbage into thin strips. To make the dressing, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, sweet chili and sesame seed oil in a bowl and mix togther. When the chicken is done, cut into thin strips too, and toss together with noodles, coriander and vegetables . Then drizzle with as much dressing as you like. Serve on top of a bed of salad leaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Voilà Thai green chicken salad.

I do love a good brunch. It is swifly becoming one of my favourite meals of the day. In an effort to save money over the last few weeks I have been making my own rather than going out. My fridge is always well stocked with appropriate ingredients and I always have a steady supply of vodka for making Bloody Mary’s, so it seems churlish to venture outside when there is so much goodness at home. This weeks choice was a Spanish omelette. Quick and easy to make. I don’t own a metal skillet that is capable of fitting in my tiny toaster oven so I used a round cake tin I bought from Daiso. It came out great and I’m sure it will now be a regular feature for weekend brunch from now on.

Ingredients

7 eggs

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

2 potatoes

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of spinach

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander (cilantro)

1 tablespoon of freshly choped parsley

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of rosemary

A glug of olive oil

Directions

Thinly slice the potatoes and fry them in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and cooked right through. Remove them from the pan and set to the side. Next slice the onions, garlic, and green and red peppers and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Roughly chop the spinach and add to the pan until it had wilted then remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, break and beat the eggs together with a dash of salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary. Finely chop the fresh parsley and coriander and add that to the egg mixture too. Next take the potatoes and add them to the egg mixture in the bowl. Then fold in the onion, garlic, peppers and spinach. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly then pour into a cake pan. Pop the the mixture into the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. Its done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. You may also want to cover the top with foil after the first 10 minutes to stop it over browning. To remove put a plate over the pan and flip it. Cut the omelette into wedges and serve with a side salad. Voilà Spanish style omelette.

Sorry guys I have been seriously MIA for the last week. I have been suffering from a tremendous hangover I gained from attending a friend’s birthday party. That is what happens when you are friends with people much younger and cooler than you. I have been regaining my strength by lying in my bed drinking vitamin water and watching White Collar, my new favourite TV show. I thought I would kick off Tuesday with a healthy-ish post. Back home you can find vegetable crisps everywhere and you can almost kid yourself that deep-fried vegetables are actually very good for you as well as being very damn tasty. This past week I have been exploring making my own vegetable crisps, first up is carrots, they actually came out really great. Easy and cheap to make, they make a nice change from your regular party snacks.

Ingredients

1 large carrot

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

A pinch of salt and pepper

A pinch of Cajun seasoning (or any other you fancy)

Directions

Cut your carrots into very thin rounds or long thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Toss the carrots in the oil, salt, pepper, and chosen seasoning. Lay the pieces on a baking tray, trying not to overlap them. Bake in a hot oven at 210 degrees Celsius for about 10-20 minutes. You will need to check on them quite frequently removing any chips that are cooked. Allow to cool then enjoy.

So I am continuing my mission to make lots of lovely Valentine’s Day inspired recipes. I am extra happy about this one because I got to use my new pasta machine too (아싸!) Pasta is very popular in my house these days and what could be cuter than heart-shaped ravioli. I was considering making a love soup recipe with lots of vegetables cut into heart shapes when I suddenly realized I could make ravioli instead. I chose beef for the filling here, pretty much because I had some in the freezer but you do whatever you like. Although I think a cheese filling would be easier to fill. You can use any sauce you like. I decided to make a red pepper and tomato one to make it a little different for you. Plus red is the colour of love.

Ingredients

Pasta

250g of all-purpose flour (I use the one for noodles and dumplings)

3 eggs

A pinch of salt

Filling

200g of minced beef

1/2 an onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

3-4 tablespoons of red pepper and tomato sauce.

1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce

A pinch of salt and pepper

Sauce

4-5 red peppers

3 tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Directions

The first step is to make the pasta dough. Mix the salt with the flour then make a heap on a clean flat surface. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in your beaten eggs. I haven’t taken any pictures of these steps, as I’m sure you have seen it countless times before. Stir the egg gradually incorporating the flour from the sides of the circle a bit at a time so the well keeps its shape until the last moment. When all the flour has been mixed in you should have a lump of dough. Knead this dough for 5-10 minutes until it is elastic and has some stretch to it. Wrap it in cling-film and store it in the fridge for 30 minutes. While you are waiting you can make the sauce.

To make the filling, finely chop the onion and garlic and fry off in a little olive oil until it is translucent. Add the mince and cook until it has all browned. Add the mixed herbs and Worcester sauce and a few tablespoons of the tomato red pepper sauce. Mix thoroughly and leave to cool.

To make the sauce, split the red peppers in half, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. When they are done put them in a bowl and cover with it with cling film and leave it for about 10 minutes. Once the peppers have cooled in the bowl it should be easy to remove the skins. Discard the skins. Put your skinned peppers, a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and your tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. You may also wish to add a sprinkling of salt and a spoonful of sugar too. Put the sauce in a saucepan and heat until it starts to boil.

After the dough has been chilled properly you can begin to roll it out. It’s a good idea to separate your lump of dough into 2 or 3 pieces and work with one piece at a time. Put the unused lumps back in the fridge so they don’t dry out. If you have a pasta maker rolling the dough should be quick and easy. If not roll those sleeves up and get out your rolling-pin. The pasta really does need to be wafer thin, so when you think its thin enough, keep rolling. I read on-line that it should be thin enough so that you can see a playing card underneath the dough. The thinner your pasta the better it will taste. Even if the pasta is a little thick it’s not the end of the world but the skinnier ones were definitely far tastier than the fatter ones.

Once your dough has been rolled out, use your cutter to cut out the heart shapes. Place a small spoon of filling on the centre then brush around the edges with beaten egg. Put another heart on top and press all the way around the edges to seal. Repeat until all of your little hearts have been made. Store them on a floured board to let them dry out for 30 minutes. Make sure they are not touching so they don’t stick together.

When your hears are ready to cook. Place them in batches in a boiling pot of salted water with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until they float to the top. You may wish to try one to make sure they are done. When all of your hearts are done. Top with the sauce and some freshly grated parmesan. Voilà adorably cute heart-shaped ravioli. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

So this week I am trying to be semi healthy. I even exercised yesterday for the first time in a year. Sadly today I can barely move, so we shall see how long that lasts. You wouldn’t believe it from this blog, but I am generally quite a healthy eater and always eat my five portions of fruit and veg a day. However I always seems to get my five portions of fat and sugar too…. (which kind of balances out all the good work from the  healthy stuff). Anyhow this soup is one of my favourites to make in the winter time. It is a glorious green colour and packed full of vitamins while still being quite tasty. I managed to get two bunches of spinach for 1,500 on Sunday so it is also very cheap to make.

Ingredients

1 large onion

2 large bunches of spinach

4 green peppers

5 cloves of garlic

1 litre of chicken stock (you could also use vegetable)

A glug of olive oil

Directions

Finely chop the onions and garlic and fry off for a few minutes until softened. Chop the green peppers and add to the pan. Chop the spinach and add to the pan in batches as it may not all fit at once. Cook until all the spinach has wilted. Add the chicken stock and boil for a further 10-15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the soup cool. Once the soup has cooled blend it up then reheat. Serve with healthy wholemeal bread. Voilà the green goddess!