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100+ Critical Food Industry Facts and Statistics: 2023

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Best ingredients for homemade hummus?

Best ingredients for homemade hummus?

Some might think hummus is a recent creation, but did you know that it’s been around in the Middle East since the 13th century?

We love hummus as it’s oh so easy to make. When it comes to the best ingredients for homemade hummus it couldn’t be more simple. All you need is to buy a tin of chickpeas from any large supermarket, whip it up with some store cupboard essentials and you’ll have a tasty dish in a matter of minutes!

Join us as we share our best ingredients for homemade hummus, why we love this dip and all of the different things you can make with it!


Best ingredients for homemade hummus?

Homemade Hummus Recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean, middleeastern

Equipment

  • Blender or Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tin Chickpeas
  • 1 Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Tahini a thick paste made from sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp Garlic
  • ¼ tsp Paprika
  • ¼ tsp Za'atar this is a middle eastern blend of spices – it has a fresh and nutty flavour!
  • ¼ tsp Sumac a spice made of dried sumac berries, it has a tangy and sour taste
  • 40 ml Olive oil extra virgin if you have some

Instructions
 

  • Empty the tin of chickpeas in cold water and gently remove the outer skin of the chickpeas. This will give your hummus a nice smooth texture
  • Using a blender or food processor blitz the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil garlic, paprika and za'atar together until completely smooth. This will take anything between 2 to 4 minutes.
  • Once fully blended, pop your hummus in a bowl and add extra spices to taste. Once done, drizzle with olive oil, and you're ready to serve!

Notes

Top Tip:
Save the water from the tinned chickpeas. This is called aquafaba and its a fantastic replacement for egg whites. It makes lovely vegan chocolate mousse and meringues!
Keyword Chickpea Dip, Dip, Hummus


Why is hummus so good?

We’re huge fans of hummus here! It’s not only simple to make, but it’s totally tasty too.

Some of the other reasons why we’re fully paid-up members of the hummus fan club include:

It’s completely vegan, making it a great option if you’re committed to the plant-based lifestyle

You can customise it the way you want. For example, why not try adding roasted peppers, beetroot or caramelised onions to change the flavour around and suit your tastes?

It’s full of protein, meaning it is a fantastic thing to eat after working out to help your body recover. Try a healthy grilled chicken or salmon breast with lots of crunchy veggies and a side of homemade hummus

Hummus is full of antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage. This can help keep your body healthy, protect you from preventable diseases… and help you look younger!


What to serve it with hummus

Hummus is a versatile dish – not only can you serve it as a dip, but you can use it as a dish in its own right too!

Here are some of our favourite ways to eat hummus:

Eat it as a dip: Hummus is a great alternative to dips like salsa and sour cream. Dip in tortilla chips, crisps or raw vegetables for an absolute taste sensation!

Spread it on your sandwiches: You can use hummus as a plant-based spread for bread, pittas and tortilla wraps. It’s yummy with feta cheese, falafel, cucumber and sweet potatoes. Alternatively, spread it thickly on your toast for a breakfast treat!

Create a buddha bowl: A buddha bowl is a vegetarian meal packed full of grains, vegetables and protein like tofu. It’s light, nutritious and will keep you full throughout the day. A couple of tablespoons of flavourful hummus will be the perfect accompaniment to your meal

Use it as a marinade: Hummus has a lot of intense spices, making it a great marinade. Spread it thickly on chicken or fish, let the flavours intensify for an hour and cook for an authentic taste of the Mediterranean

Stir it into your pasta: If you love creamy pasta sauces but don’t love the calorie count, why not use hummus instead? Just add water to get the right consistency and stir it in

Bake for a sweet treat: You may think hummus is more savoury than sweet… but you can use it to add a nutty flavour to your baking too! Try it in brownies, doughnuts and cakes, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming ‘star baker’!

So, there you have it! We hope our simple and tasty recipe for hummus has inspired you to make your own.

We’d love to hear your favourite ways to eat hummus too!



Best ingredients for homemade hummus – If you liked this recipe please feel free to share any comments or images through Facebook and Instagram @simpleyummiesfood.

Please check out our delicious chickpea curry recipe!

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How To Maximize Storage In A Small Kitchen

How To Maximize Storage In A Small Kitchen



If you’re reading this, you probably love all things food and kitchen like us or you’re seriously in need of help with how to maximize storage in a small kitchen. No worries – help is on hand!

When your kitchen is small it can feel like you’ll never be able to keep it organized. One minute it’s clean and perfectly organized and the next you can barely find space to put a water glass. Small kitchen storage is all about making small, and easy, changes to your organization habits to make your work for you.

Besides if you have ever had a messy kitchen cupboard, then you will know just how annoying it is when you can’t find something and end up buying more products only to find out you have duplicates – the worst!! So read on solution issues like this as we share some great tips on how to maximize storage in a small kitchen.


5 Tips: How To Maximize Storage In A Small Kitchen


1 – Hooks

Hooks are one of the easiest things you can add to a small kitchen to make a big difference. They help get things off the counter and free up more space in your cupboards. Try hooks for hanging seasoning pouches on the inside of your cabinets. Hang up your measuring cups and measuring spoons on the inside of the door of your pantry or baking supply cabinet. Not only will this be handy when you’re baking, but it will give you more room in drawers for things that don’t work so well with a hook.

To make the most out of hooks, try adding them to a bar across your wall or backsplash under your cabinets. Place pots on the hooks to hold items like whisks, wooden spoons and spatulas.


2 – A Magnetic Strip

If you’re a lover of knives and have a large selection than a magnetic strip is definitely for you. A knife block can look quite chic on your counter, but if you’re already fighting for space, it’s not doing you any favours. Try using a magnetic strip on your wall to hold all of your knives – and any other metal utensils that are taking up room. The positive of doing this is it makes your kitchen looking like a pro’s kitchen – who wouldn’t want want?


3 – Clear Jars

Containers are your friend when it comes to small kitchen storage. You can buy specific ones made just for the job, or re-use old mason jars or sauce jars. You can place anything from oats to flour, cereal to pulses in the jars, creating an aesthetically pleasing organized kitchen cupboard. Think Pinterest and Instagram worthy aesthetics- so pretty

Write the expiry date, if applicable, on each jar so you don’t end up wasting food or wondering just how long ago you bought the item(s). Print out labels or mark them on the jars to keep your cupboards, and your brain, organized.


4 – Fold it for More Space

Reusable shopping bags are great; they help cut down on plastic waste, but they can be a pain to store. Grab a basket and fold your shopping bags into neat squares so that they take up less room and can be put away, neatly, for future use. This also makes them super easy to grab when needed and will keep them from ending up in a smushed, jumbled mess. Put them in a basket or bin designated specifically for reusable bags. You can even make a special basket for those few plastic bags that always end up in your home, no matter how hard you try to keep them away.


5 – Pack your Cabinets

Place items in the same spot, every time, making sure that your cabinets are full of all of the things you need in one place – instead of your countertops. Get into the habit of placing things in their rightful place, even if it takes a few extra seconds to do so. This will keep your countertops, your cabinets, and your whole kitchen clean and organized.



 How To Maximize Storage In A Small Kitchen– If you’ve tried any our storage tips we’d love hear about it. Please share any images or comments on our social media – Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest @simpleyummiesfood .

Please also check out our shop which lists all the useful kitchen tools we love and use in our kitchen.

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How To Make Beef Short Ribs

How To Make Beef Short Ribs


Whether you need something to warm you through and through or you want to make a dinner that impresses, you can’t go wrong with beef short ribs. Both comforting and luxurious, they might look like something only top chefs can pull off, however when you learn how to make beef short ribs, you’ll see it’s much simpler than it appears.

That’s the beauty of this cosy yet sophisticated dish. Of course, it all begins with prime ingredients and this step by step guide on how to make beef short ribs.


About Beef Short Ribs

Before you learn about how to make beef short ribs, it helps to know a bit about them. This cut of meat comes from the beef chuck portion of the cow and consists of the first 5 rib bones from that chuck section.

While chuck makes for excellent steaks, the rib portion of it doesn’t. There are heavily used muscles between the bones here which aren’t tender but have so much more flavour. They have the best of both the chuck and rib cuts with a rich marbling from the ribs along with the savoury beefy taste of chuck roast. They’re indulgent and utterly comforting to enjoy for a special dinner for 2 or even a holiday occasion.

When you buy beef short ribs, look for labels that read ‘beef short ribs’ or ‘arm short ribs.’ You can also ask your local butcher for a cut of it too. You’ll want the meat to have a well-marbled appearance with meaty ribs that are rigidly attached onto the bone and not a whole lot of surface fat.


How To Make Beef Short Ribs

Indeed, the meat is flavourful with this cut, but if you want to know how to make beef short ribs, the best way is by braising. The meat isn’t tender and the slow-cooking age-old process of braising where you simmer it slowly in a covered pot will be what turns the tough texture of your short ribs into melt-in-your-mouth magic.

We recommend to try to make beef short ribs by any other methods. Roasting or grilling would just result in tough, chewy ribs that would leave you feeling frustrated. Ultimately, braising your beef short ribs is the way to go to have a heavenly meal that will make everyone at the table soon.


More About Braising Beef Short Ribs

The technique of braising simply requires simmering meats in a little liquid with a cover on top. It enhances the flavours of the liquid while tenderizing this tough cut of meat. While it’s very easy to do, it takes time which is why making beef short ribs is something you’ll want to do on a weekend when you have more time and not right after you’ve come home from a crazy workday.

Braising requires 3 easy steps to achieve that beautiful fall-off-the-bone texture you want in your beef short ribs:

  1. Browning
  2. Deglazing
  3. Braising

Browning is the first step which allows you to get the meat to a beautiful colour while rendering out some of that fat in the meat. When braising, you’re cooking at a low temperature which won’t give a natural browning colour to your meat. Searing the meat atop the stove is required first. One important thing to note though is that you should thoroughly dry the meat before this step. Wet short ribs will stick to your pan, resulting in uneven browning.

After that, you’ll deglaze the pan. You’ll be left with lovely brown bits of meat stuck at the bottom of your pan. You don’t want to miss those wonderful flavours that will contribute to your beautiful sauce. To do this, you’ll move your meat to a plate first and add liquid to your hot pan. As you do, you’ll scrape the bits of meat loose with a wooden spoon to blend it into your liquid.

You can deglaze with stock, broth, or water, but one of the best ways is with red wine. It furthers tenderizes the meat and adds more depth to the flavour profile for a truly luxurious finish.

Finally, you’ll braise your beef short ribs by returning them back to the pan with the other ingredients, adding a little more liquid to submerge it a bit more. You can continue to do it all on the stove but using the oven is best because the heat surrounds your whole cooking vessel for a more even finish.


Best Way to Serve Beef Short Ribs

Now that you know how to make beef short ribs, you should think about what to serve it with. Rice is always a nice option because it soaks up all the wonderful sauce, but mashed potatoes are perhaps even more comforting. The sauce is even more enjoyable than gravy and mashed potatoes add a layer of richness that simply can’t be beat.


How to Make Beef Short Ribs

This red wine-based braising technique will have your taste buds swooning and makes enough to serve 4.

Beef Short Ribs

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 4 People

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil for frying
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Minced
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Purée
  • 750 ml Red Wine (Merlot)
  • Sea salt and Ground black pepper for seasoning
  • 1 Litre Beef Stock
  • 150 g Pancetta
  • 250 g Small Mushrooms cut into quarters
  • 6 Pieces Beef Short Ribs
  • Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large saucepan the hob, then add olive oil. Season the short ribs well, then cook them for 10–15 minutes or until they are brown well on all sides.
  • Add minced garlic and tomato purée and continue to cook for a few minutes.
  • Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits at the bottom. Bring to a boil and cook for 10–15 minutes and then add the stock so it almost covers the ribs in their entirety.
  • Lower the heat and leave the short ribs to slow cook for 3 hours before transferring to a roasting tray.
  • Preheat the oven to 160°C and then place the roasting tray in the preheated oven for 45 mins or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
  • When the short ribs are ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.
  • Serve the short ribs topped with the hot pancetta and mushrooms and garnish with chopped parsley.
    Enjoy!

Notes

About 10 minutes before the short ribs are ready to come out, fry the pancetta for 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain off any excess fat.



How to Make Beef Short Ribs– Please let us know if you have tried this recipe and share any comments/images via our social media channels on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram at @simpleyummiesfood.

Please also check out our yummy Oxtail Ragu recipe!

Recipe For Jamaican Oxtail Stew

Recipe For Jamaican Oxtail Stew

There are many things to make when it comes to cooking meat dishes but one thing that we absolutely looove is their  Jamaican oxtail stew!  The greatest thing about stews like this is it does not require much involvement – just add all the ingredients into