Fresh Home Made Dips – Easy to Make

One of the Things I Know is that Christmas at our place focuses on catching up with family and friends, eating, drinking and entertaining (the kids entertain us). We recently moved to a location that is a day trip from the city for our friends when they come to visit. When we organise “catch -ups” nourishment for all is a requirement!

I like to make my own dips from fresh ingredients rather than buy prepared ones. My pantry is regularly stocked with the required ingredients to at least make Hommus. I always have crackers or a bread suitable for dipping so that any drop in visitors, or those who choose to stay on later than expected, can be offered nibbles. I often make a dip for us, especially in summer as I enjoy using them as a spread or with crackers in the late afternoon while waiting for Mr Fresh to arrive home from work. Punky, (almost 4years) enjoys having a dip on the side of his plate for using to dip his salad ingredients.

The three dips below are the ones that I most commonly make:

1. Coriander Dip

Ingredients

3 tblsp of pine nuts
4 fresh garlic cloves (if you buy cloves use 2)
1/2 bunch of coriander leaves
coriander roots – chopped (if available from the bunch you are using for the leaves)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 red chilli
6 drops of fish sauce

Steps

Pound the coriander root, garlic, and chilli with a splash of olive oil in a mortar and pestle until they combine to form a rough paste
Cook the paste for 3-4 minutes over low heat until fragrant and allow to cool
Toast the pine nuts in the same pan after the paste has been removed. Cook until they start to colour and then remove to cool
Add the spice ingredients and nuts and all remaining ingredients (except the fish sauce) to a blender and pulse to leave chunky
Add the fish sauce (stick to the quantity specified otherwise the flavor is too strong), stir and transfer to a serving bowl

2. Basil Pesto

Visitors to our house commonly request my Basil Pesto. I got the recipe originally from Brenda, one of my mum’s friends but I have changed the recipe since then (as I do) It is a rare privilege to be given a recipe by Brenda, it is guaranteed to be amazing. I would never publish a recipe without permission, I hope she doesn’t mind me writing up a variation of hers here. (That leaves yours a secret Brenda!)

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp of pine nuts
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of good quality olive oil

Steps

Toast the pine nuts in a pan until they start to change color, remove and cool
Place all ingredients into a processor and pulse until combined
Transfer to a serving bowl
If you wish to keep the pesto for a few days to use in pasta and in other meals put some into a sterile jar or into a dish and cover with olive oil
Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week