Take a Dip This Summer

Editor (Food)

Get your barbecues ready; summer is now in full swing. Just like your wardrobes, it’s nice to update your summer kitchen recipes, so take a look at these fresh dips — perfect for hot sultry nights as a refreshing snack with some sticks of carrot, cucumber, celery or whatever you fancy.

Guacamole — A Mexican dip made with avocado
2 ripe avocados
½ minced red onion
1 Serrano chilli
1 tbls fresh lemon lime juice
½ tsp sea salt and a dash of black pepper
½ ripe tomato

Method: Scoop the avocado flesh out and mash with the other ingredients (you can keep it chunky or smooth according to preference.) Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge until serving.

Hummus — A Middle Eastern dip perfect with warm pitta bread
200g of dried chickpeas
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
6 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of crushed garlic
Pinch of cumin
Salt (to taste)
Olive oil (to top)

Method: Put the chickpeas in a bowl with 2x volume of water. Add 1tsp bicarbonate of soda and leave to soak for 24hrs.

Drain the water and add to a pan of cold water, stir in rest of bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1-4hours, until chickpeas are very soft.

Cool peas in water and drain, setting aside the cooking water. Mix tahini with half the lemon juice and half the garlic, and then stir in the water to make a paste. Then add this to the chickpeas in a blender and whiz until smooth.

Add the cumin and salt to taste, along with some more water – it should hold its shape and not be too runny of thick. Then put in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top with a few chick peas to decorate.

Smoky aubergine & coriander dip — A smoky and filling Middle Eastern dip
4 large aubergines
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
Large bunch coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1 garlic clove (crushed)
Lemon/lime juice

Method: Bake the aubergines in the oven (200C/400F/Gas 6) for 30-40mins until tender. Cool and peel off the skin.
Put the aubergine flesh in a blender with the garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, zest and coriander. Season well and whiz together.

Tzatziki — A refreshing Greek dip
350g Greek yogurt
1 cucumber
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic (finely grated)
Dash of extra virgin olive oil
Paprika (for sprinkling)

Method: Peel and de-seed the cucumber and then grate finely. Hold, then put in a muslin cloth or tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.

Combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice and garlic and. Add a dash of olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Image Courtesy:stu_spivack at http://flickr.com/photos/35034346243@N01/435399381 licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license/Wik Commons – Tamorlan licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license/Wiki Commons - Nikodem Nijaki, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license/ Wiki Commons