Things have been a little hectic around here because–yay!!!!–I’ve finally finished my next novel. I’m feeling good but that’s only the first step so my work load had kind of tripled so I’m keeping today’s post pretty simple.
Dips, for me, are the perfect low calorie snack that can easily be made to fit a vegan diet. I never really gave dips much thought when I consumed animals or really until I started taking my weight loss seriously. But in my search for something more than salt & vinegar potato chips which are my absolute favorite to eat when I get a snack attack, I turned more and more to vegan dips.
I’ve got two easy dips, a garlicky hummus and a anti-pasti dip.
These recipes are really easy as long as you have a semi-decent food processor, and you can mix up herbs and spices to your own liking and play with them as you get more comfortable making them.
For the hummus, drain a can of chickpeas (or grab 2 cups of cooked dry beans) and rinse them, setting aside the liquid in case you need it to thin out the dip later. Add in any of the following: tahini paste (I think this is a must but do what you like), 1 head of roasted garlic, pine nuts, roasted red pepper, a few drops of hot sauce, 1/2 lemon, juiced, and run it until smooth. Add salt, pepper and cumin powder. I also added some tikka masala pepper powder for some extra smokiness.
Season it until you’re satisfied, adding water if you want a thinner hummus that’s perfect for dipping.
The anti-pasti dip, as named by me, was kind of an on the fly thing. The hummus was made and I had quite a bit of roasted red pepper left over, which got me to thinking what else could throw together for a–likely–delicious dip?
From the fridge, I grabbed: capers, black olives, green olives, basil leaves, scallions and garlic.
Toss everything in the food processor and pulse until the pieces are nice and small. Keep going if you want a full-on paste, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Season it to taste and top with a swirl of balsamic vinegar. And the best part? It’s less than 60 calories per 100 grams, which is a snack-a-licious dip that puts a smile on my face.
Now let’s talk about dippers, what do you prefer? I like crackers, just about any kind but my favorite are the regular unsalted Saltine crackers. But I also like water crackers, rice crisps and all the rest. Carrots and celery also make excellent dippers. Or pita bread. Naan bread. Sandwich bread even, if you toast it up a little.
My husband will tell you that you can eat dip with a spoon but if you listen to him then you’d both be wrong.
Happy dipping!
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