Handy hummus to suit the whole family

What is it?

The Happy Pear Hummus Variety Pack (€3.89/180g)

What’s good about it?

The Happy Pear pesto and tapenade range has been given a packaging facelift. This variety pack contains three single-serve portions of reduced fat hummus (30 per cent lower in fat than the brand’s normal hummus); roasted red pepper hummus and sweet beet hummus. They are handy for a household that doesn’t have unanimous enthusiasm for the chickpea-based dip, and for lunch boxes and snacks on the go.

How do I use it?

The individual pots will appeal to children, and with a couple of carrot sticks to dip into them they make a nutritious snack. The manufacturers recommend keeping them refrigerated, so you’ll need an insulated lunch bag to keep them in if you are on the move.

[ Real wood-fired pizza at home, without the work or the delivery charges ]

[ Butter with a spicy, smoky flavour ]

Where can I get it?

The multipack is widely available at SuperValu and Centra shops nationwide.

Mexican chicken taquitos

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Beth O’Brien’s lemon and poppy seed shortbread biscuits

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Lemon tart

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Gnocchi with lemon, crème fraîche, peas and mint

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Anything else?

The roasted red pepper is the best of the bunch, containing 17 per cent red peppers, along with tahini, date syrup, rapeseed oil, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder and spices. The reduced fat hummus is fine, but the full-fat version is better, as evidenced by its gold award at the Blas na hÉireann Irish Foods Awards last year. All varieties are vegan diet friendly.

Send your Shelf Help product suggestions to marieclaire.digby@irishtimes.com