White Bean Dip: Both Amazing and Easy

I can't stop eating this dip. I'm already plotting to make more. It's creamy and flavourful and garlicky without being overpowering. It's also low-fat and low-carb, if you care about such things. It's very high-yum and high-protein and high-ly likely to be devoured before I can finish writing this post.


You need:

1.5 cups cooked white beans, like navy beans*
1 head of garlic
4 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2-3 tsps lemon juice

* Look, it's really really easy to cook your own dried beans from scratch and it's quite a bit cheaper. It takes about 4 hours and you don't have to stand there the whole time. Make a bunch and freeze them in baggies. If you don't believe there's a difference, take my word for it. If you always hated beans, try making your own. They are amazing. Cans are for jerks. <--- Please note, this is a rant. Do not take it too seriously. A bit seriously, but not too seriously.

1. Roast your garlic. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and slice off the very top of your head of garlic. Do not separate the individual cloves! Leave it whole! Place the whole head in a piece of aluminium foil and drizzle with 1 tbs of olive oil and a pinch of the sea salt. Wrap up the garlic head in the foil and put it in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

2. Put the rest of the ingredients in a food processor. When the garlic is done, let it cool, then squish all (yes all) the cloves out of their skins by squishing the head of garlic from the bottom. Add the garlic to the food processor, too. Mmm garlic.

3. Process/blend the dip until it's creamy. You may need to adjust the lemon juice or salt to your taste - this is just my taste. Serve with toasted pita or veggie dippers!

Roasted Chickpeas with Garlic Salt

All I can say is these are delicious and if you need an alternative to an unhealthy snack food, these are the ticket.



You need:
2 cups of cooked chickpeas
2 tbs olive oil or cooking oil
2-3 tbs of garlic salt (to taste)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 300F

2. Arrange chickpeas in a single layer in one or two rimmed baking sheets

3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt, then toss to coat evenly. Taste a chickpea (yum!) and see if it's garlicky enough for your liking. If you're replacing a bad snack food and don't care about your salt-intake, add lots. Yum yum.

4. Roast for about 60 minutes, then broil for another 10, but watch them. When they get brown and toasty, take them out and let them cool. They should be dry and crunchy when cooled. If they aren't, stick 'em back in.

These are nothing but delicious, but you will have terrible breath after, so be forewarned!