How To Make Red Pepper and Almond Dip

Red Pepper and Almond Dip is the best among all the dips made in the South Arm Community Kitchen. It is very sweet and has an amazing great flavours from the roasted garlic and roasted red peppers.

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Prep time: 45 minutes;  Yield: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup roasted red peppers
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon roasted garlic
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

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How To Make Beet and Carrot Dip

This Beet and Carrot Dip has the most amazing colour. This is one of my favourite dip among all the dips as this dip is sweet. The natural sweetness comes from the beets and the carrots.

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Prep time: 30 minutes; Yield: 2 cups (500ml)

Ingredients

  • 1 large beet, washed
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) sour cream
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) crumbled feta
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2ml) salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1ml) freshly ground black pepper

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How To Make Baba Gha-Hummus

When I asked Minoo about the origin of this dish, she told me it’s a combination of Persian’s Baba Ganouj (an eggplant dip) and Greek Hummus, hence the name Baba Gha-Hummus.

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Minoo is not sure of the source of this recipe as she has a huge repertoire of recipes collection.

Prep time: 45 mins;  Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

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How To Make Lime Spiked Black Bean Dip

The next dip which Minoo made in the South Arm Community Kitchen is Lime Spiked Black Bean Dip. This dip is very easy to make and perfect for any casual gathering.

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The Lime Spiked Black Bean Dip tastes best at room temperature. This recipe is adapted from myrecipe.com.

Prep time: 15 minutes; Standing time: 30 minutes;  Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 x 15 ounces cans black beans
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeeze lime juice, about 2 limes (we substituted with lemon juice)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne

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How To Make Tzatziki

In the South Arm Community Kitchen, Minoo whipped up 6 dips. These dips are great for game nights with a group of friends. They also made great appetizers.

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These dips can be served with baguette, pita bread, corn chips, crackers and assortment of vegetables.

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We simply love the great colours of the dips. Can you guess it by its colour?

The first dip is Tzatziki which is popular in Greek cuisine.

Source: unknown

Prep time: 10 mins;  Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Greek style yogurt
  • 1 cup finely diced cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
  • lemon juice to taste
  • 2 small shallots finely chopped or 1/2 small red onion finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

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If you cannot find Greek yogurt which sometimes called Mediterranean-style yogurt, you can make your own substitute with plain yogurt. Just line a colander with a double layer cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour in 2 cups of plain yogurt and chill overnight in the fridge. Discard the liquid the next morning. You’ll end up with 1 cup of Greek-style yogurt which is thicker than plain yogurt.

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Creamy Hummus

Hummus is a popular Greek dip.   I must warn you in advance that if you are going for a date, refrain from eating too much hummus as the raw garlic after taste is going to ruin your date.

June and Christina partnered to make this Creamy Hummus in the South Arm Cooking Club for seniors.  This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light and it serves 4.

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For a  truly creamy hummus, it’s important to blend the tahini with water and lemon juice first; this allows it to emulsify, and gives the hummus its fabulous texture.   This Creamy Hummus is best served with some pita chips.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 (19oz) can chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Guacamole

Guacamole originate from the Aztec and became popular in Spain.  The name Guacamole comes from an Aztec dialect, ahuacatl means avocado and molli means sauce.  Branca made this very popular dipping sauce to go with her home-made Tortillas.

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Guacamole is creamy by the ripe avocado, fragrant by the cilantro and a hint of tanginess from the lime juice.  It is a very nutritious dip rich with good monounsaturated fat from the avocado.

Here are some tips on buying avocado:

  • choose black ones
  • it should be lightly tender to touch
  • if you buy unripen avocado, wrap them in newspaper and place them at a warm place to speed up the ripening process
  • you can also place the avocados next to some apples to speed up the ripening process
  • if you would like to keep them for a while, refrigerate them

Ingredients

  • Ripe avocados
  • red tomatoes, diced
  • onion, finely chopped
  • cilantro, chopped
  • salt to taste
  • freshly squeeze lime juice
  • finely chopped serranos (optional)

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Spinach Dip

I have always made spinach dip to share in gatherings among friends. It’s a very simple dip to make and is always a favourite, even among children. I like to use baguette and use the spinach dip like a spread.

I find that if I prepare it that way and pass the plate around, almost everyone will take a piece.

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The recipe for the rich spinach dip is simple. You need the following:

  • 1 box of frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 packet of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
  • 3 spring onions
  • 1 can of water chestnut
  • 2 cups of sour cream
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise

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