Three delicious Dips/ Spreads: smoky red bean pate, hummus and Moroccan chickpea and apricot pate

Hummus

Smoky red bean pate

 These 3 recipes are brilliant for sandwiches, wraps, crackers, dips and salads! They don't take long to make, either; I often rustle one up alongside making dinner, already for packed lunches in the morning...

Smoky red bean pate (makes a 360g jar full)
500g cooked drain red kidney beans
2dsps soy sauce
2 dsps smoked paprika
2 sticks celery, de-stringed and finely chopped
a little butter
black pepper, hing and seasalt (to taste)

• Saute the celery in the butter until just soft
• Mash rest of ingredients
• Mix in the celery

Hummus (makes nearly a 1kg yogurt tub full): 
The kala channa is better for you than regular chickpeas; it has bood sugar-stabilizing properties.

500g cooked kala channa (dark chickpeas) 
juice of 3-4 lemons (depending on size)
1 tab extra-virgin olive oil
7 tabs light tahini
hing and seasalt to taste
100ml water

• Put all ingredients in the blender until the desired consistency. I don't like mine too runny.
• Variations: add smoked paprika or chilli powder. Use broad beans instead of chickpeas.

Moroccan chickpea and apricot pate (not illustrated):
400g cooked chickpeas
10-12 dried apricots, finely chopped
a little water to mix

1 tsp salt
a pinch of black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp hing
2 tsps dried oregano
chopped coriander leaf
pinch of paprika
2 tssp cinnamon
dash of lemon juice
dash of liquid aminos

• Blend all ingredients together and adjust the seasoning to taste.