Delicious Dips
Dips can really add flavour to a buffet for your next party or gathering but are equally delicious when you’re having a quiet night in by the telly.
The problem with a lot of them are they can become needlessly complicated and expensive, so with that in mind here are four great dips that are simple to make and you might already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen!
Hummus
Tasting great and simple to make, it’s easy to see why hummus is one of the most popular dips in this country.
This recipe will take you less than forty minutes to prepare and serve and can feed up to four. It’s a healthy classic and perfect for sandwiches or a simple side to serve with breadsticks or pita bread.
Ingredients
- 200g canned chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or more
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt
- 100m tahini (sesame seed paste) optional
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tea spoon paprika
- 4 rounds of pitta bread
Instructions
1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse. Reserve a few whole chick peas for serving.
2. Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, tahini, and water in a food processor, and blend to a creamy purée.
3. Add more lemon juice, garlic, cumin or salt to taste. Turn out into a dinner plate, and make smooth with the back of a spoon. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter with the reserved chickpeas.
4. Sprinkle with paprika and serve with pita bread, warmed in a moderate oven for three minutes, and cut into quarters.
Recipe from www.bbc.co.uk/food
Aioli
Don’t let its fancy name fool you, aioli is commonly known and served as garlic mayonnaise. Roughly translated as garlic oil, aioli is fantastically versatile and will make a great dipping sauce for almost all crudités, but if you really want to get the most out of the flavour try it along with seafood and fishcakes.
Ingredients
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt
Instructions
1. Place the garlic, mustard, and egg in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until evenly combined, about 10 seconds.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream, followed by the grapeseed or vegetable oil, until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Stop the processor, add the lemon juice, season with salt, and pulse until thoroughly mixed. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then pulse until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before using. Refrigerate in a container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3 days.
Recipe from www.chow.com
Guacamole
This Mexican classic is great served with tortilla chips and it’s so simple and inexpensive, you’ll never buy shop-bought again.
Ingredients
- 2 medium avocados
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 1/2 tomato, diced
- salt to taste
Instructions
1. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork, until mostly smooth.
2. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill for 30 minutes to give the flavours a chance to meld.
Recipe from www.lifesambrosia.com
Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa
This list would not be complete without mentioning the classic salsa. This simple recipe only takes 10 minutes to make, but beware it does create a large batch so you might want to half the recipe or you could just buy more crisps!.
Ingredients
- 2 cans whole tomatoes (peeled) with juice
- 2 cans Rotel (or equivalent can of diced tomatoes with green chilies)
- 40g chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 jalepeño, quartered and sliced thin
- 25g coriander
- Juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions
Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you get desired consistency. Refrigerate for at least one hour, and then serve with your favourite tortilla chips.
Recipe from www.browneyedbaker.com
Do you have any great dip recipes of your own?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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