Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

I can so eat this by the spoonful. I must be working my food processor overtime with all the nuts I am blending. Never thought it can be so fun figuring out what nut butter should I make next.

I wouldn't call this nutella, I can't seem to get a very smooth consistency with the blitzing of hazelnuts. It does have a bite to it which I quite enjoy. I tried to use almond milk to make it creamier, which it did but I'm guessing I did not add enough of it. Nevertheless, this is a very good dip or pair it with some fruit, or do what I do, which is to eat it by the spoonful!

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
2 cups of hazelnuts-preferably roasted to release more oil
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tsp of honey or organic coconut sugar
1/2 cup of almond milk
2 or 3 tsp of cacao powder

Blitz hazelnuts for as long as it takes to make it into a butter. Add in coconut oil to make it smooth, followed by almond milk. Add cacao powder. Taste and add some sugar if required or honey. Eat!

Sesame Hummus

I am such a big fan of dips! Come to think of it, dips are not what I was used to growing up in Sunny Singapore. Along with cheeses, I believed I learned "the art of eating dips" when I was in university attending late night classes. I recall that at break time, we would usually have some crackers/dips with cheese as our dinner!

The other thing about dips I like is that it seem to make everything taste better. Wanting to eat more vege sticks? Dip into some salsa or hummus. A plain wrap? Add a tsp of dip and we can call it gourmet!

Once again, I was experimenting making hummus and decided that sesame oil and sesame seeds can be used instead of the paste. I love the aroma of the hummus and it just seem to make it a tad special. Perfect for morning tea!

Sesame Hummus (Serves 4)
1 can of chick peans drained and rinsed
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 tsp of toasted sesame seed
squeeze of lemon
salt/pepper

Blitz all in the food processor. Serve with crackers and vege sticks.

Spiced Guacamole

There is something about dips that is so drool worthy. Its all about texture isn't it. A crispy flat bread or cracker, topped with a soft tasty savoury dip makes a world of a difference. I brought this to a gathering and it was a hit. Surprise surprise, all commented that it was the hit of chill and spice that they enjoyed.

One of my all time favourite dip, other than hummus, it would be guacamole. There is just something about avocado that I love I think. I remembered my mother told me that I probably would not like avocado (something that she liked!). The rebellious side of me decided that well, I will try it and prove her wrong. Yes, I was a teenager then.

One thing about avocado is that it is high in fat- even though they are the good fat. It is still reasonable to eat this in moderation of course. I think it is a highly nutritious snack and a little go a long way.

My secret? I added cumin to it. Not so much a secret hey? Hope you like this as much as my friends did.

Spiced Guacamole (serves a party!)
4 avocado mashed
1/4 lemon juice
1/2 small red onion chopped finely
1 tomato chopped finely
2 chili padi
1 tablespoon of cumin
2 tablespoons of light sour cream
salt and pepper

Mashed avocado with some lemon juice. Using a spoon, fold in tomatoes. If you like raw onions, include the finely chopped onions. However, i cooked them a little in a pan to cut out that rawness. Add in chill padi, cumin and seasoning. Taste and adjust. Serve with crackers or vege sticks.

Sundried Tomato Hummus

Once a month, I was on morning tea duty, preparing morning tea items for office colleagues. It's our way to thank each other, appreciating each other for the work we put in weekly. This Hummus was my "last" morning tea preparation as I left the position soon after. As I was preparing it, it was bitter sweet- especially since I have many memories there.

Hence, it was important for me to get it right. To make something that everyone could enjoy. While I was blitzing this hummus up, I thought it was abit too tangy for my liking. I mmm and ahhh.. pondering whether to bring this hummus for morning tea. In the end I did it, and to my utmost surprise, everyone liked it and it was finished by the next morning. My colleagues assured me that it wasn't a show but the tangyness was something slightly different from what other dips offered out there.

Well for me, I was just glad they liked it.

Sundried Tomato Hummus
1 can of chickpeas drained
80 grams of semi sundried tomatoes (I used the 97 fat free one)
1/2 lemon squeezed
1/4 cup of olive oil
Season with some salt and cracked pepper.

Blitz everything up. Serve with crackers. ;)

Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Feta Dip

I have been experimenting with a few dips recently. A light bulb moment occurred when I was standing at the aisle of the supermarkets trying to find a dip with the least fat and preservatives. I realised then, that most of these dips are vege based and could be easily blended at home.

This was actually inspired by a chickpea/pumpkin dip that I bought a few months ago. Having a chat with my colleagues one day about myself trying to experiment with pumpkin as a dip, one colleague mentioned roasting the pumpkin while the other suggested using some roast garlic as well. For seasoning, I decided to use feta and abit of paprika.

The result was a sweet and tasty dip. Healthy too since I used only 2 tsp of the grapeseed oil from the feta cheese. The rest was lemon juice. I love how the feta and garlic added the flavour without over-powering it. I love this feta especially as it was bought from at one of my favorite market place Kalamanda Markets.

A bonus is the vibrant colour that this dip has. The roasted pumpkin and garlic releases it sweet flavours and showed of its bright shiny orange! Garlic is said to have its antioxidant properties whereas pumpkin is full of vitamin C. Hopefully this is a far healthier dip than we can buy from the markets.

Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Feta Dip 

500 grams of Butternut pumpkin
2 big knobs of garlic seperated and scattered on the oven tray

Roast these on a baking tray 30 minutes on 180 heat.

Roasted garlic and pumpkin
20 grams of feta cheese
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp of grapeseed oil
3 tsp of paprika
cracked pepper

Peel skin of garlic. Whiz all ingredients in blender for 30 seconds. Taste test and then adjust pepper accordingly. You may not need salt as feta is salty.

I'm sharing this with Weekend Herb Blogging this week. I have been waiting to participate in this event more regularly and this is my chance! This week it is hosted by Graziana from Erbe in Cucina.

Indian Style Butter Bean and Avocado Dip

Every Tuesday, my colleagues and I take turns to bring morning tea. Given that we have hours of meetings, morning tea (which usually turns into our lunch) sweeten the deal. Recently, we seem to be pretty keen on dips. It started with store bought and we realized that it is probably much cheaper and healthier to make our own. It started with garlic hummus, and graduated to mashed avocado with taco seasoning dip (gotta try this one at home one day!). I decided to experiment and came out with this dip instead.




I toasted the spices first before adding it to the butter bean and avocado mixture. Instead of adding olive oil, I used fresh lemon juice. This makes this dip far healthier than other options out there.It's addictive! Given that many of us hosts Christmas events, hopefully this dip will inspire you to create a dip with your own Christmas signature on it.

By the time you read this, I am on the plane for a short holiday and to be part of a bridal party at my best friend's wedding. Thankfully, I have prepared some posts for you to enjoy while I am away and I hope you will enjoy what I have for you. *muacks*

Indian Style Butter Bean and Avocado Dip

2 cans of butter beans (You can also use chickpeas) 
1 large avocado
1 lemon-juiced

3 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of chili powder
2 tsp of tumeric powder
1 tsp of garam masala powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Over low heat, add oil to small pan with spices. Toast gently till it smells beautiful.
Meanwhile, drain beans and place in food processor with chopped avocado and lemon juice. Blitz it for 1 min or 2. Add toasted spices and blitz it again. Taste and season accordingly. Serve with crackers.

Hummus Dip

You know my love for our food processor. One other handy thing that I can now do is to make dips! Freshly made dips and pesto will not be a hassle anymore. Hummus is made out of chickpeas and sesame paste. It's a real treat as a dip or even as a spread. I know of some recipes that pair hummus with grilled lamb as well. One reason why I like hummus is because of it's nutty taste! Oh, and not forgetting that this is probably one of the healthier alternatives to other sorts of oily dips or spreads.

Hummus
1 can of chickpeas (or 1 cup of dried chickpea soaked overnight)
2-3 tablespoon of sesame paste (Tahini)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1-2 tablespoon of olive oil
seasoning

Whiz everything together. Do a taste test and adjust seasoning accordingly. Serve with water crackers or as a spread.