Chickpeas

Delicious, warm tender chickpeas. Easier than you thought and you may never buy them canned again. 

Begin by soaking the dry chickpeas (I was told the smaller variety the better) in lots of fresh water, use a big bowl as they will suck up the water by morning. 

Allow them to soak overnight. 

In the morning drain the water out and add the chickpeas to a large pot, cover with more fresh water and set on the stovetop. Bring it up to a boil and skim off any foam that appears. 

Simmer until chickpeas are nearly tender, then add lots of salt to season the water (like you would pasta) and continue cooking until chickpeas are tender to taste. 

If you're going to enjoy them like this then remove the pot from the heat and let them cool in the liquid, drain the chickpeas and serve with a squeeze of lemon (children love eating bowl fulls like this, super healthy) or put them in your favourite recipes. They keep in the fridge (store in the cooled liquid) or drain and add to a ziplock bag then freeze. 

If you're making hummus continue cooking until the chickpeas almost fall apart in the water, at this point you can skim the skins away and blend with some of the liquid, add lemon juice, fresh garlic.

In a separate bowl whisk together tahini and some liquid until smooth and add to the blender, whizz it all up until smooth and enjoy! 

Remember hummus is a warm dish, it really isn't meant to be eaten cold like they sell in the stores.