This month saw our launch of a set of plant-based cooking workshops in Sussex. Myself and my co-host, Tanya, were delighted to talk through the making of a tasty and nutritious low-cost lunch including freshly made pitta bread, three nutritious dip and courgette and feta fritters.
We had such a lovely afternoon talking health and wellness in the beautiful surrounds of Tanya’s Sussex home. The community feel was as important to me as the food. After a long stint of lock-down and isolation it is time to recreate our heart-warming pop up foodie events.
Here are the dip recipes which work wonderfully alongside fish, meats or as part of a healthy mezze.
PEA, TAHINI AND ZA’ATAR DIP
Serves 4-6 as part of a mezze spread
· 500g frozen peas (blanched)
· 65g tahini
· 40 g parsley or other herb (chopped finely)
· 20 g mint leaves
· 105 ml of olive oil
· 2 lemons tsp grated zest, 3 tbsp juice
· 2 spring onion to decorate
· 3 tablespoons za’tar
· Salt and black pepper
1. Set aside 50 g of peas for later.
2. Set aside spring onion
3. Put remaining peas, tahini, herbs, 2 tablespoon Za’atar, lemon zest and juice, 3 tablespoons of oil, 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt and a grind of pepper into a food processor and blitz into a smooth paste.
4. Spread out on a large plate using a spoon to create a shallow well in the centre.
5. To the reserved peas add the spring onions, 1 tablespoon of oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper and toss to combine.
6. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining tablespoon of za’atar and the last 3 tablespoons of oil.
7. Drizzle the za’atar oil all over the pea dip. Sprinkle with mint leaves.
An Ottolenghi Recipe
The next dip is a naturally sweet and beta-carotene rich blend of carrot and spices.
MOROCCAN SPICED CARROT DIP
Serves 4 as part of a mezze
· 400g carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
· 2 tbsp olive oil, and extra for drizzling
· 1 tsp ground cumin
· ½ tsp ground cinnamon
· 100g pitted green olives
· 1 tsp smoked paprika
· 2-3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
· 2 roasted garlic cloves
· ½ tsp clear honey (optional)
· juice of 1 lemon
· 1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan until golden (optional)
· 1 sprig of fresh thyme
· salt and pepper
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6
Step 2
Toss the carrots and garlic cloves with the olive oil in a baking dish. Roast for 30-40 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel the garlic cloves. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, garlic, honey and lemon juice. Season to taste.
Step 3
Blitz the roasted carrots in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the pine nuts if using, to serve.
Tzatziki Recipe
500g natural plain yoghurt
1 whole cucumber seeded and coarsely grated
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10g chopped fresh mint
10g chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Deseed the cucumber, coarsely grate and place in a colander.
Lightly salt and leave for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
In a bowl combine the yoghurt, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs.
Mix well and season to taste.
Rinse salt from the cucumber, place in a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess water.
Stir cucumber into the bowl of yoghurt and adjust seasoning if required.
Serve straight away or can be refrigerated for use the following day.
We will be putting together more Sussex workshops over the next few months. If you are interested in joining then please do subscribe to my newsletter for updates,