Graphic Designer / Creative Director
Dan Segal

RECIPES

roasted vegetable dips with pita chips

Sometimes it's hard to get vegetables into our kids or even ourselves when life is running at a million miles an hour and all you can muster is a no-nutrient belly filling snack.

My roasted vegetable dips recipe is so quick, tasty and full of good stuff that it's really worth giving a go. It's adaptable to lots of different vegetables/legumes/fruits and is bound together by good fats. 

The picture here shows 3 dips that were popular at my restaurant The Lion's Den, that we served with some very additive pita chips. They are: Roasted Beetroot & Yoghurty Dip, Roasted Spiced Carrot Dip & Yellow Split Pea Dip.

Please let these recipes serve as a guide for you to make your own wonderfully healthy and tasty fresh dips that will keep the fridge for at least 1 week. 

 

Roasted Beetroot & Yoghurt Dip

Makes 1 large takeaway container of dip

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 large beets

  • 1/4 cup of olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 teaspoon of salt & a good crack of pepper 

  • 1/2 sprig rosemary or thyme

  • 1 cup of greek or unsweetened yoghurt

METHOD:

  1. Wash the beets well, but leave their skins on.

  2. Cut them into roastable pieces (in quarters or eighths) and toss them in a bowl with the salt, pepper, oil, whole garlic cloves and rosemary or thyme.

  3. Place beets and garlics on a paper-lined baking tray and roast them in hot oven for about 30 minutes or until the you can easily poke a fork or spear through them. 

  4. Allow the beets and garlics to cool for at least 15 minutes and then place them in a food processor with yoghurt. Whip it all up until smooth adding a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper or olive oil to taste.

 Try substituting beetroot for pumpkin, cauliflower or sweet potato. 

Roasted Spiced Carrot Dip

Makes 1 large takeaway container of dip

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 carrots

  • 1 cup of olive oil

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 teaspoon of salt & a good crack of pepper 

  • 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds

METHOD:

  1. Wash the carrots well, but leave their skins on.

  2. Cut them into roastable pieces (in quarters or eighths) and toss them in a bowl with the salt, pepper, 1/4 cup of oil, whole garlic cloves, cumin & coriander seeds.

  3. Place on a paper-lined baking tray and roast them in hot oven for about 30 minutes or until the you can easily poke a fork or spear through them. 

  4. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes and then place them in a food processor with the rest of the olive oil. Whip it all up until smooth adding a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper or olive oil to taste.

 

Fava Bean or Yellow Split Pea Dip

Makes 1 large takeaway container of dip

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups of yellow split peas or fava beans

  • 3/4 cup roughly chopped red onion

  • 6 spring onions / scallions roughly chopped

  • 5 cups warm water

  • 5 cloves garlic squeezed or chopped

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons of salt

  • 1 lemon 

METHOD:

  1. Bring the peas/beans to boil in a pot with the water & salt. 

  2. Skim the foam from the surface of the water and bring it down to simmer, then add the garlic, red onion and spring onions. Simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes or until peas/beans go soft and start to break down. 

  3. Allow the mixture to cool so you can safely blend it in a food processor or bullet blender. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. There is a natural sweetness from the peas/beans and onions so make sure not to overpower that. The dip will come out a little runny but once it cools it will thicken up. 

 

Roasted Pita Chips:

To make these, all you need is greek pita breads which are the perfect consistency for dip in my humble opinion. 

Simply cut them into your preferred chip size and either deep fry them for 2 minutes or brush them with vegetable oil and bake them on a low heat for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

DL SEGAL