MAKE YOUR OWN DIPS
When I quit disposable plastics, I did it for the oceans, but my tongue was not always totally on board.
I really missed dips. Especially when attending picnics where dips or happy hours where a little tray with all the yummiest dips, from pesto to hummus to chili-cashew-something or other. I would often indulge in a cracker with a scoop of dip to see what the fuss was all about. Granted, they are nice, but often quite oily, usually have preservatives, and obviously are not fresh. (I have found it is important to find fault in the plastic wrapped foods to motivate making your own!)
Fortunately, it is quite easy to make all things SNACKABLE from fresh, natural ingredients. Keeping trash out of the ocean and crap out of your body.
EASY DIPS (when you see * it signifies "bought in bulk")
PESTO
This is an old favourite in my family and I was always taught that as long as you had a green, a seed or nut, and a cheese you could make a pesto. I like to keep it vegan, by subbing in "oil & lemon" for cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil*
- 1/3 cup toasted Pepita seeds* (or pine nuts, cashews, sunflowers, brazil, etc. ALWAYS toasted for max deliciousness.)
- 1-2 tsp Salt*
- 1 tsp Pepper*
- 1 Lemon
- 15-20 leaves of Basil (or rosemary, or thyme, or rocket/arugula, etc.) preferably grown fresh
- Optional to added raw or roasted garlic
Recipe:
- Pour seeds in a pan on medium heat & toss when they start to crackle until light brown and half have "popped."
- In a blender, add oil, seeds, spices, greens, and the juice of the lemon.
- Serve warm (from toasted seeds) or chill in refrigerator before serving.
HUMMUS
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup chickpeas* ( soaked & drained. Avoid the cans, they are lined with plastic!)
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon
- 1-2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 2-4 cloves Roasted garlic
- 2 tbsp Optional to add tahini or raw, hulled sesame seeds
- Optional to add 1/3 cup roasted red peppers or sweet potatoes
Recipe:
- You soak and drain the chickpeas to soften and "activate" them. You can make a "Raw Sprouted" hummus by soaking & draining until they grow tiny green sprouts. For traditional hummus, put the softened chickpeas in a pot on the stove and bring to boil, cooking them until tender.
- Pop your garlic cloves in the oven to roast while you gather the other ingredients.
- In a blender, add all ingredients and blend until desired consistency. Adding tiny amounts of water can help if it is too thick.
- Sprinkle with a bit of paprika & a few seeds for garnish!