I am writing this post from my garlic-infused apartment. If you love garlic, you have to make this. Not only will your tastebuds start dancing, your kitchen will smell divine as it’s roasting. Did I mention it takes no time at all? Chop, drizzle and in the oven it goes. Then you can sit back and enjoy the smell. Or if you’re like me, run to the oven every 5 minutes and inhale deeply.

So, why is this little 2-in-1 recipe so perfect for us HFIers? Because garlic is safe for us. And if you like it, you’ll love these! The taste and texture of roasted garlic is considerably different from raw garlic; it’s much deeper and sharper. I love it, it’s such an effective addition to a plain dish (I can see a pasta recipe coming up very soon, here!) yet it’s a very sophisticated flavour. It blends fabulously into pastes and sauces, and melts delightfully on meats, fish or pasta. Versatile, isn’t it? Which is why I’ve added a heavenly hummus recipe. It really is heavenly. 

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Chop the top off your garlic and drizzle with olive oil. This will make the cloves easy to squeeze out and allow them to become soft and buttery. Create a nest out of parchment paper (like you would with a fish parcel) or foil for your garlic. This prevents the tops from burning. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before trying to squeeze out the cloves. You can keep them in the fridge or use them straight away!

The official recommendations suggest our intake of hummus should not be superior to a tablespoon. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I first read this, I was not pleased. I could live on hummus and pita bread. After thinking about it more seriously, one tablespoon is actually quite a lot. The problem with hummus is that it is addictive. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s potent. One of the main reasons roasted garlic works so well is that it’s much more satiating. And so is cumin. So after a tablespoon, you’re good. As much as I love this recipe, I would not be able to eat the entire recipe (yes, that happens sometimes.) Result: happy HFIer! No bloating, no nausea. Tested and approved! 

If you would rather use a different type of bean, you could try white or black beans. Or you could even mash it up with soft cheese for an easy spread instead.

Can we talk about these adorable new mini pita breads from Sainsbury’s? I am so glad they don’t have any added sugar!

Here’s the recipe!

If you snack on this once a day, this recipe will last you a week.

Half a can of chickpeas

1 teaspoon tahini

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

4 to 6 roasted garlic cloves, depending on your preference

Salt and pepper

Water

I have found the quality of your blender will make or break your hummus. I have a cheap blender, so it never turns out very smooth. But don’t worry if you, too, have a crappy blender. You might need some elbow grease to finish the process.

Put all the ingredients in your blender, apart from the water. Blend for a few seconds, then add water accordingly. The more water you add, the runnier it will be; it depends whether you like your hummus to be a paste or a spread. Don’t forget to run a spoon along the sides of your blender and stir through to incorporate all the chickpeas.

Dip homemade crackers in it for a quick snack or spread on sandwich bread instead of mayonnaise! Yum!

Happy eating, HFIers!

What are your thoughts on hummus? Let me know, I would love to hear from you!

I think the most appealing facet of bread is its versatility. You can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack, make it savoury or sweet (only the former for us HFIers!), have it brown or white, toasted or fresh, homemade or store-bought... There is an endless amount of variations. Bread has remained on of my favourite foodstuffs, but authentic bakeries are almost non-existent in and around York. I am always shocked to find breads labelled baguette or focaccia, when they taste nothing like the real thing. That is part of the reason why I gave up bread for almost a year, longing for the freshly baked loaves sold in Luxembourg.

I had never really crossed paths with pumpernickel and rugbrød (Danish rye bread) until last summer. I was going through a wheat-free experiment and was pleased to hear rye bread contained no wheat. Unfortunately, I later found out sugar is often used in the batter in order to activate the yeast and had to stop eating it. This made me wonder if all yeast-based breads contain sweeteners. I couldn't find a single loaf of industrial bread containing no sugar, sucrose or fructose. When I say industrial, I mean the square-shaped kind I mentioned earlier. Proper bakeries tend to have more choice for a low-fructose diet; sugar is also an excellent preservative in order to keep goods fresh for more than a couple of days; it is often the case that homemade bread only stays soft for a few days.

The official guidelines advise the consumption of white bread instead of brown bread when going low-fructose. I personally find white bread very bloating, especially if it is not homemade. (I do like homemade, sugar-free brioche, a recipe will follow shortly!) This particular bread making mix is one I found at IKEA, which is why this recipe isn't quite a recipe: add water and tadah! The best rye bread you'll ever taste. It contains all natural ingredients and no added sugar! Pick it up next time you go to IKEA or get it here.

1 box of IKEA's multigrain bread mix (list of ingredients below)

600 ml of warm water 

All the instructions are on the box; it advises you to pour the water in the carton and shake for 45 seconds until combined. I poured it into a mixing bowl to combine the mixture properly as it tends to be quite lumpy. Leave to rise for 45 minutes and bake in the bottom of your oven for 60 minutes on 200°C. 

What's on the back of the box?

Ingredients: wheat flour (21%), wheat flakes (20%), rye flakes (17%), coarse rye flour (13%), sunflower kernels (8%), wheat starch, linseed (6%), malt (4%)(from barley), sourdough powder (rye flour), salt, dried yeast.