12 Dips of Christmas
Whilst Christmas may be a little different in 2020, there’s one festive staple which can still be enjoyed, albeit in much smaller company this year.
Yes, Christmas is a definitely a time for dipping!
Do you know that as a nation we dunk our way through 12,000 tonnes of houmous each year, spending £60 million on it in the process?
That’s more than marmite, although we don’t think anyone would refer to houmous as being like marmite!
And although it’s beige, there’s nothing beige about the taste of chickpeas mixed with tahini, lemon, and garlic. Simpleness at it’s best and the reason why 40% of Brits have a pot of houmous in the fridge – that’s almost twice as many as any of our European counterparts.
Houmous is one of many dips that are particularly popular during the festive season as people get their ‘snack on’ in between wolfing down the Christmas dinner and having the odd tipple or three.
Snacks like crisps, breadsticks, crackers and even vegetables like carrots and celery are made for dipping.
So, in honour of the humble dip, we’re happy to present our 12 Dips of Christmas.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. A sushi houmous nori roll
Place a sheet of nori onto a sushi matt. Smooth out about ¼ cup of houmous onto the nori, placing it at the bottom 3 inches of the nori. Cover the houmous with thinly sliced carrots, red pepper, and arugula. Roll the sushi by turning the bottom corners up and tucking the contents into the nori. Roll until only 1 centimetre is left and moisten the last centimetre with water and close tightly to seal. Place the roll onto a cutting board and cut into about 6 equal pieces.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Two houmous & bean burgers
In a food processor, pulse a bell pepper until finely chopped, add 1 ½ cups of black beans and pulse until thick and pasty. Move the mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in ¼ cup of minced shallots, 1 cup of cooked quinoa, ½ cup houmous, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder and mix until the mixture is stick and holds together. Form the mixture into 8 even patties. Cook the patties on grill until heated through.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Three houmous stuffed peppers
All you need for these easy appetisers are mini bell peppers, houmous and some grated cheddar cheese. First, preheat your oven to 200°C. In the meantime, cut your mini bell peppers in half and remove all ribs & seeds. When the oven is heated, place all the peppers on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Roast the peppers for 5 minutes. Then remove the peppers, fill them with houmous and sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese on top. Roast for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. To change things up a bit, try different flavours of houmous – We suggest jalapeño houmous.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Four blackened prawn & guacamole bites
For these light, delicious bites you need some fresh prawns, paprika, honey, a cucumber and guacamole. First, season and coat the prawns with the paprika and honey. Fry the prawns in some olive oil, turning occasionally until slightly blackened. In the meantime, cut the cucumber into slices about 80mm thick and spread a generous serving of guacamole on top of each slice of cucumber. Once the prawns are cooked, place a prawn on each of the bites and serve.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
.... Five salsa baked chickens
Season a chicken breast with a mixture of seasonings to your liking. And cook for 2 minutes each side in olive oil or until just browned. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with salsa and place the chicken breast on top. Add more salsa over the chicken breast and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees or until the chicken is cooked through. Add some grated cheese on top and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted on top.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Six beef & houmous burgers
Cook ½ finely chopped red onion in olive oil until softened. Mix in cooked onion with 450-500g minced beef, ½ cup houmous and 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley. Shape into burger patties, then cook as desired. Serve on a toasted brioche bun with lettuce, tomatoes and add a spread of more houmous. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try a different flavoured houmous!
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Seven houmous salad dressings
Ok, it’s actually one salad dressing but we have a theme and we’re sticking to it, so
Add half a cup of houmous, 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard and squeeze half a lemon into a bowl and mix with a fork until well combined. Add water and a couple of drizzles of olive oil until desired consistency.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
… Eight sour cream and chive mash potatoes
Peel and boil your potatoes for 15-20 minutes. Mash with a few spoons of sour cream & chive dip (to your liking) and serve.
On the ninth of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
... Nine onion & garlic pasta salads
See ‘seven salad dressings’ Cook 150g of pasta. In the meantime, cook some asparagus & peas and let cool. Run the pasta under cold water and drain. Mix the pasta with the cooked asparagus, peas and onion & garlic dip (to your liking).
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Ten sour cream & chive potato salads
Ditto. Halve 1 ¾ pounds of new potatoes. Place the potatoes into a pan and fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until tender. Drain and cool under cold water. Then in a large bowl, stir together 1 cup or sour cream & chive, ½ cup of mayonnaise and the potatoes. Season with some salt and pepper and garnish with fresh chives to your liking.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
…. Eleven crusty houmous chickens
We know that’s a lot of chickens, but you can always freeze them to keep you going well into 2021
Whisk 170g houmous with a tspn lemon zest, tspn cumin, ½ tspn paprika, pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Spread the mixture evenly on both sides of the chicken breast. Sprinkle some sesame seeds evenly. Roast for 20 minutes at 200°C.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
Twelve pizzas topped with houmous
Perhaps start a delivery service! Spread a layer of houmous on top of the pizza base (instead of tomato sauce) and spread your choice of pizza topping. Cook the pizza as usual.
