Ahhhhhhh. That's me sighing in relief that the busyness of Christmas is over and I have two full weeks off from teaching. After all that rich food, I thought a nice healthy (addicting) appetizer as an idea for New Year's was in order. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the cream cheese laden spinach dips and the full fat sour cream chip dip (heck I'm still eating coconut tarts from my freezer with a big dollop of Cool Whip leftover from Christmas), but there's something about eating healthy food that doesn't taste healthy that I just love. This white bean dip is very similar to hummus, but the flavors are so fresh and exciting from the lemon and rosemary. The combination of the spicy pita chips with the dip is fantastic.
serves 12 as an appetizer
White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic
2 15.5oz. cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 heads of whole roasted garlic (recipe follows)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
the grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
In a food processor, combine all ingredients except salt and pepper; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables or pita chips.
Roasted Garlic
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the top third of the garlic head off so that the tops of the cloves are exposed and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with oil and cover completely with foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until soft and golden brown. Cool. Squeeze the roasted garlic from each of the cloves and mash into a paste. Store any additional roasted garlic in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Spiced Pita Chips
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
6 pita breads, cut into 8 wedges each.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the olive oil and spices in a large bowl. Add the pita wedges and toss to coat. Spread the wedges in a single layer on two baking sheets and bake, tossing once, until the pitas are brown and crisp, about 10-15 minutes (mine seem to cook quicker). Cool. Serve with white bean dip.
These will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
Click here for printable version of White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic with Spiced Pita Chips
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RESULTS?
I've made this recipe soooo many times over the last couple years and love it so much. When my brother in law and his wife had their twins, I went and stayed with them to help them out and cook for them. They love hummus, so I made tons of different variations, but this recipe was one of the favorites, especially with the spicy chips. The dip tastes fantastic smoothed on wraps or inside pita bread with chicken and lettuce and other veggies. I made a Rosemary Marmalade Ham last night for a family dinner and still have some fresh rosemary in my fridge. Writing this post has given me a serious craving for this dip, so I think I'll have to add it to my grocery list!
One note about the pita chips: start checking them after about 8 minutes. In my oven 15 minutes is WAY too long, yet it was fine when I was cooking at my brother-in-law's house. You want them lightly golden and crispy.
Meal Ideas:
- White Bean Dip and Spiced Pita Chips + Grilled Beef Skewers + Sliced Cucumbers
- Simple Lemon and Oregano Roasted Chicken + White Bean Dip + Fresh Pitas + Salad