Quick and Healthy Snacks: Homemade Dips

Quick and Healthy Snacks and Desserts

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In summer, on my way home from work, I would often pop into the supermarket to buy a container of spinach or eggplant dip and a packet of rice crackers, and that would be my lunch. It was a great way to get my daily all vegetable meal.

homemade_dipsWhile it is indeed convenient to buy dips, they’re also quite easy to make at home. All you need is a bullet blender or small food processor and a bit of imagination, and next time you have a party, you can impress your friends with a colourful array of homemade dips.

As well as the main ingredients, many of the following recipes contain cream cheese. You’ll see that the recipes measure out the cream cheese in portions/tbsp. This refers to processed cream cheese that comes in individually wrapped, wedge-shaped portions measuring approximately one tablespoon. I prefer to use this type of cream cheese because it keeps well, but you can use the cream cheese of your choice, or even smooth ricotta, instead.

While some of the following recipes include a ‘hero’ vegetable or ‘exotic’ ingredient, most can be made with Pantry Essentials.

On those days when you crave something warmer for lunch, you could check out the entry Quick and Healthy Snacks: Soup-in-a-Mug.

 

Recipes:

Avocado Dip

Quick Eggplant Dip

Carrot (or Sweet Potato) Dip

Chickpea Dip

Cheese and Spinach Dip

Three Cheese Dip

Tzatziki Dip

Egg Salad Dip

Creamy Tuna Dip

Tuna Salad Dip

Chicken Salad Dip

 

Avocado Dip

  • 1 small avocado
  • 1 portion/tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise or natural yoghurt
  • 2 tsp lemon or lime juice
  • Garlic granules and pepper

 

  1. Chop avocado flesh and scoop into the small cup of a bullet blender
  2. Add the remaining ingredients
  3. Process until smooth

 

Quick Eggplant Dip

  • ½ eggplant
  • Garlic, parsley, oregano and paprika
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

 

  1. Peel eggplant and cut into 2 cm cubes
  2. Place in a bowl and toss in olive oil
  3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes and allow to cool
  4. Place in a bullet blender cup with remaining ingredients and process until smooth

 

Carrot (or Sweet Potato) Dip

  • 1 cup carrot (or sweet potato)
  • 1 portion/tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise or natural yoghurt
  • Dried onion, garlic granules and mild curry powder

 

  1. Peel and chop carrot (or sweet potato)
  2. Place in a bullet blender cup with a little water and microwave until tender (approx. 5 min)
  3. Drain and allow to cool
  4. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth

 

Chickpea Dip

  • 1 x 125gm can chickpeas
  • 2 tsp. olive oil (or 1 tsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. sesame oil)
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Garlic and mild curry powder

 

  1. Empty the chickpeas together with the canning water into the small cup of a bullet blender
  2. Add the remaining ingredients
  3. Process until smooth

 

Cheese and Spinach Dip

  • 1–2 portions frozen spinach
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt
  • 2 portions/tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pepper and garlic granules

 

  1. Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess water
  2. Place in the small cup of a bullet blender with remaining ingredients
  3. Process until smooth

 

Three Cheese Dip

  • ½ cup smooth ricotta
  • 2 tbsp. shredded Parmesan
  • 2 portions/tbsp cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp. natural yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • Garlic granules, pepper and mint

 

  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl
  2. Beat with a fork until smooth

.

Tzatziki Dip

  • 1 small Lebanese cucumber
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • ½ cup natural yoghurt
  • Oregano (or mint)
  • Garlic granules and pepper

 

  1. Peel and grate the cucumber
  2. Drain in a small strainer for 30 minutes
  3. Place in a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients

 

Egg Salad Dip

  • 1 egg
  • Chives and spices (see below)
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 portion/tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise or natural yoghurt

 

  1. Boil egg and let stand for 10 minutes (see Eggs for Breakfast)
  2. Peel and slice the egg
  3. Place in the small cup of a bullet blender with spices, lemon juice, cream cheese and mayonnaise
  4. Process lightly
  5. Stir in additional ingredients (see below, optional)
  6. Serve in a sandwich, on toast or rice cakes, or with crackers

Options:

  • select one or more of the following to add at Step 3: mild curry powder, paprika, mustard, pepper, dried onion or garlic granules
  • stir in 1–2 tbsp. of one or more of the following at Step 5: diced bacon, chopped avocado, chopped celery or chopped cucumber (optional)

 

Creamy Tuna Dip

  • 1 x 95gm can tuna in oil (or spring water)
  • 1 portion/tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise or natural yoghurt
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Dried onion, pepper, garlic granules and parsley

 

  1. Drain tuna
  2. Place tuna in the small cup of a bullet blender with remaining ingredients
  3. Process until smooth

 

Tuna Salad Dip

  • 1 x 95gm can tuna in oil
  • ¼ Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion (or red onion)
  • 2 tsp. mayonnaise
  • Parsley and garlic granules

 

  1. Place tuna with oil in the small cup of a bullet blender
  2. Add remaining ingredients
  3. Process lightly

 

Chicken Salad Dip

  • 1 x 85gm can shredded chicken in water
  • ¼ Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion (or red onion)
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise or natural yoghurt
  • Oregano and garlic granules

 

  1. Drain water from shredded chicken
  2. Place in the small cup of a bullet blender with remaining ingredients
  3. Process lightly
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