BEETROOT DIP with SPICES

There is nothing tastier than homemade dip. Supermarket processed guacamole, hummus and tzatziki pale in comparison. I have wanted to make my own beetroot dip for a long time as being Russian beetroot is one of my major food groups. Adding the ground cumin and coriander added a beautiful depth to the dip. You can use any spices you like for making beetroot dip, but lemon juice and yoghurt are a must. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large fresh beetroot, peeled & cut in half 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 cup 99% fat free natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

COOKING 

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice beetroot into small pieces.

2. Meanwhile, dry fry the garlic in a small frying pan (That is, do not add any oil to the pan) for 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat. 

3. Place beetroot pieces, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon juice and yoghurt in a blender or food processor. Blend/process ingredients until smooth and no lumps of beetroot remain (this should only take 30 seconds or so). 

Serve dip with crackers. 

Serve as a snack
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

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AVOCADO & MUSTARD DIP

Another one of Heidi Swanson’s super natural recipes for you. Heidi makes this dip with curry powder, however I substituted ground coriander instead for a more subtle taste. This dip only takes around 15 minutes to make and involves no processing, blending or fiddling. It is a fun way to spice up plain and monotonous avocado dip. Make sure you use ripe avocados and fresh herbs for the best success with your dip. Mustard seeds are quite foreign to me; however using them added a pleasant boost of flavour. A perfect snack for a sunny Spring Saturday.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe avocados, cut in half and pits removed 
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons yellow / black / brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/2 of a mixture of finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, coriander, chives, parsley. 
• sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 

COOKING 

1. Place the avocado flesh in a small bowl. Add the lime juice, salt and the herbs. Mash the avocado gently with a fork, making sure to not over-mash, as you want the dip to be chunky. Set aside. 

2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot add the mustard seeds, making sure to cover the pan with a lid as the seeds will scatter when they pop. When the popping ceases, after 1-2 minutes, add the onion and stir well for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ground coriander and chilli flakes to the pan, stirring well to combine. After 30 seconds remove from heat. Add the mustard mixture to the mashed avocado, gently stirring to just combine. Serve warm with crackers and/or cut vegetables. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 8 minutes

Total Cooking time / 8 minutes 

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BEETROOT DIP WITH SPICES

I live for Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons when I can indulge in dip and crackers and a nice glass of white wine. My friends and I used to gather on a weekly or fortnightly basis to spoil ourselves with these treats, but this ceased as we got busier and busier and time seemed to slip away. I hope that with writing this post I can put back into the universe that we reinstate these afternoons / evenings again. There is nothing tastier than homemade dip. Supermarket processed guacamole, hummus and tzatziki pale in comparison. I have wanted to make my own beetroot dip for a long time as being Russian beetroot is one of my major food groups. Adding the caraway seeds, cumin and coriander added a beautiful spicy quality. Caraway seeds taste similar to aniseed or fennel and have almost a liquorice flavour about them. You can use any spices you like for making beetroot dip, but lemon juice and yoghurt are a must. Try experimenting with ground fennel or fennel seeds, tarragon and/or black pepper.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large fresh beetroot, peeled & cut in half 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 cup 99% fat free natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

COOKING 

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice beetroot into small pieces.

2. Meanwhile, dry fry the caraway seeds and garlic in a small frying pan (That is, do not add any oil to the pan) for 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and seeds have darkened slightly in colour. 

3. Place beetroot pieces, caraway seeds, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon juice and yoghurt in a blender or food processor. Blend/process ingredients until smooth and no lumps of beetroot remain (this should only take 30 seconds or so). 

Serve dip with crackers. 

Serve as a snack
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

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