Dips for Snacking

We need to talk about snacks. More specifically the notorious late-afternoon-I’m-absolutley-starving-and-will-eat-anything-within-reach kind of snacks. This is a state that makes me weak at the knees and no chip, dip or pickle is safe. To prepare for such a catastrophic event, a little prep is required but trust me, when the clock strikes 4 pm you’ll be thanking your past self. In my opinion, the most reliable snack is a dip, not only is it versatile (not just for snacks) but also pretty simple and cheap to make at home (in bulk of course). Crackers at the ready, folks — more on what and how to dip in a few rambling recipes below.

Romesco-ish

Rinse a 1 kg jar of roasted red peppers thoroughly under running water and pat dry with paper towel. Add them to a food processor with ¾ cup roasted almonds, ½ cup olive oil, 1 garlic clove (chopped), 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chilli flakes, zest and juice of 1 lemon and salt and pepp to taste. Blitz till the almonds are in small pieces and the dip is a nice chunky consistency. Taste and add more lemon, salt and pepper to how you like it. Serve with crackers, raw veg or pickles. It is also excellent under soft-boiled eggs on toast or in a roast chicken sandwich.
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Babganoush

Peirce two large eggplants with a knife all over and place on a tray with 3 cloves garlic (skins on) in a preheated oven at 200˚c. Remove the garlic after 15 mins and keep the eggplant in till the skins are blackened and the inside is super soft (between 30-60 mins). Place the eggplants in a bowl to cool. Once cool enough to handle drain any liquid from the bowl and peel away the skins from the flesh. Place the flesh in a food processor with ⅓ cup tahini, ¼ cup lemon juice, ⅓ cup olive oil, peeled roasted garlic, 2 tsp cumin and salt and pepp to taste. Blitz till smooth and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika.
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Chunky artichoke dip

It’s all in the ratios of 1:1:1:2 of cashews, olive oil, parmesan and marinated artichokes. Blitz and jazz up with a clove (or two) of garlic, a squeeze of lemon and of course, salt and pepp. This is a flexible recipe, it’s forgiving and very adaptive. You can play with the ratios, sub the cashews for another nut and parmesan for something cheddar-y. No rules here. Go for it.