Jalapeno and Tomato Hummus

I absolutely love hummus - or is it houmous? Does anyone actually know how to spell it? I've searched online and there seems to be a divided opinion. Supermarkets and the Jamie Oliver website use 'houmous', but recipes on the BBC website seem to favour 'hummus'. If you search Wikipedia for 'houmous' you're presented with the result for 'hummus', so it's all a bit confusing. Whichever it is, I love it anyway, and I'm sticking with hummus, as it's nice and straightforward.

Hummus is not only tasty, but is also very cheap and easy to make yourself. A can of chickpeas costs around 40p but if you use dried chickpeas (with an overnight soaking and a 30 minute boil) it's even cheaper, and makes a LOT of hummus. The beauty of making it yourself is that you can add whatever you like to it, depending on your taste preferences. I like tangy flavours, and this Jalapeno & Tomato hummus is given an extra tang with the addition of lime juice and pickled jalapenos. You can also add as much oil as you like, or replace it completely with lemon juice or water - I've even used a little coconut milk too! I drizzled this hummus with a little lemon flavoured olive oil, to give it even more tang.

If you don't like garlic or don't want to have a stinking garlic breath, then just leave it out, like I did here.

Served with a flatbread and veggie sticks this makes a great protein and veggie packed lunch.