Hummus query

soulgirl

Member
I have just made Hummus using a can of chick peas very low fat yogurt (2%) garlic salt and lemon juice
Is this free on extra easy?
 
Hi soulgirl, according to my SW c she says chick peas are classed as syns if you change the consistancy, if you blend or mash them you have to count the as a syn, I found this rather frustrating cos I love chickpeas, I use to make spicy farafel using blended chickpeas and onion and spices until my SWc saw them and explained that this should be classed as a syn. Same applies to the rice cake made with savory rice eggs and veggies! But if anyone begs to differ, I would be happy cos I do miss the spicy farafels and the rice cake
 
Never heard that before! That's taking food abuse to the extreme if you ask me. I understand if you are using them to make cakes and such like but hummous if perfectly fine.
 
Hi Circles, yes I did make the chickpea cake this is when my consultant picked up , plus making the chickpea spicy balls...which are a thing of the past now......she said that if your changing the consistancy then it is high in syns.
 
theres a hummus recipe in the new magazine and i'm sure it was only the tahini paste that counted as syns.
also a baked falafel recipe which is very low syns (possibly free but my memory escapes me and i can't find the mag at the minute :sigh: )

i suppose its the same principle as the stewed fruit, you'd be eating greater quantities of chic peas maybe ?? :rolleyes:
 
The recipe for Houmus (that's the way they spell it) in the magazine is 1 syn per portion on EE and Green, and it says "for a FREE dip on both choices omit the tahini".

Also in the magazine there is a recipe for bean and veggie sausages which have mashed red kidney beans in them, and they are free on EE and Green.

I couldn't find the falafel recipe in the magazine, but there is one in the Family Feasts for a Fiver book which is for falafel and houmous and chickpeas are blended for both parts of the dish. Again, it is 1 syn per portion on EE and Green (the syn comes from the tahini).

So it seems that your consultant was mistaken, Louella. If recipes in the magazine and the books used chickpeas or beans mashed, then obviously it is fine. And the only time I have ever heard it said that mashing chick peas means they should be classed as syns is when they are used to make some type of cake. Same as with couscous cake.

And I can't see what is wrong with your rice cake either.
 
Thanks for this post avisk, that means both the falafel and the rice quiche is back on the menu. great stuff.
 
Well, I think it is clear that the hummus and falafel are fine if SW publishes almost identical recipes.

And I personally cannot see what is wrong with your rice cake - after all, if you had the savoury rice, a couple of hard-boiled eggs, and some vegetables on your plate that would be the same thing. You are just mixing them all together.

I can understand the "food abuse" theory when it comes to something like lemon couscous cake (which I love!) as that is using an ingredient as a flour substitute and making something which isn't really a meal (although I have been known to have it for breakfast!).
 
Hi avisk, Ive see the lemon cous cous cake somewhere but cannot remember how it goes? is the recipe on here?
 
There are some different recipes around - this is the one I make:


125 g cous cous soaked in 200ml boiling water and fluffed up with a fork and left to cool
2 tablespoons lemon curd
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 beaten eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sweetener

Mix the whole lot together, put into a tin or dish sprayed with Frylight, and cook for about 30 minutes at 190C or Gas Mark 5

For a ginger version, replace the lemon curd with golden syrup and add 1 teaspoon ground ginger.

If I don't have a lemon to hand, I use a generous squeeze of bottled lemon juice and forget about the zest.

You might not need all that sweetener - taste it and see.

2 tablespoons of lemon curd or golden syrup is 4 syns, so that makes 4 syns for the whole cake.

BUT - this is where the "food abuse" bit comes in - if you follow SW guidelines then the whole thing should be synned because you are using ingredients for something other than what they should be used for (excuse the appalling grammar!!).

Personally, if I make it, I eat it warm for breakfast, with yogurt, rather than as a snack, so I tend not to syn it. It's up to you.
 
I checked with my councilor and she said my Houmus was free yippee

Delighted to hear it!! Enjoy!

Personally, I don't think it is so nice without just a bit of tahini in it, so I usually add it and syn it.

A friend of mine puts some sweet chilli sauce in hers (I think there are some syns in this) and that is quite nice.
 
Hi Avisk, thanks hun for the recipe. How many syns would you count for the whole cake? I can use lemon juice to zero the syn factor,,do you agree x
 
I calculate that if you are going to syn the couscous, there are 4 1/2 syns in 125g. Plus four syns for the lemon curd (2 level tablespoons). Making 8 1/2 syns in all.

Personally, I allow a bit more for the lemon curd, as I am rather generous with my spoons!! Say 10 syns for the cake.

There are other recipes around - put cous cous cake into the search box and see what turns up.
 
BUT - this is where the "food abuse" bit comes in - if you follow SW guidelines then the whole thing should be synned because you are using ingredients for something other than what they should be used for (excuse the appalling grammar!!).

Personally, if I make it, I eat it warm for breakfast, with yogurt, rather than as a snack, so I tend not to syn it. It's up to you.

What's that supposed to mean......it's for eating!!!!! Either way its for Eating!!!! This is the really frustrating thing about slimmimg world isn't it!!! Lemon couscous cake sounds yummy will have to try this one...thanks.
 
What's that supposed to mean......it's for eating!!!!! Either way its for Eating!!!! This is the really frustrating thing about slimmimg world isn't it!!! Lemon couscous cake sounds yummy will have to try this one...thanks.

Yes, its for eating, but I suppose with stuff like a cake, you will generally (unless you are as sensible about it as Avisk) have it as a snack, rather than say free or superfree food, and it will be higher in cals than a snack of that sort, therefore they say to syn it to deter you from doing it.

If you ate lots of cake in the belief that it was free, you wouldnt be doing yourself any favours in terms of weight loss.
 
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