White Bean & Parmesan Puree
A quick and easy starter that’s perfect to serve with toasted pita bread or your favorite dipping vehicle.
Ingredients
1 can cannellini beans (400 g [14 oz]), rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup [80 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz [60 g] parmesan cheese, finely grated
Juice of ½ lemon
Water, if needed
Toasted pita bread, pretzels or chips, to serve
Method
Place all ingredients in a food processor, and blend until very smooth.
Season to taste, adding a little water, one tablespoon [15 ml] at a time, if the mixture is too thick for your taste. You can also add more lemon juice if you think it needs it.
Serve at room temperature with toasted pita bread, pretzels or chips.
Note: Feel free to use whichever white beans you prefer. Cannellini, butter beans, borlotti or even fava would all work.
Recipe Credit: Jules Clancy, Stonesoup
Rapini and Pecan Pesto
A versatile, delicate and smooth tasting adaptation of the Italian classic.
Makes about 2 cups [500 ml]
Ingredients
1 head rapini (or broccolini), florets and stems separated, stems coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
½ cup [125 ml] pecans, slightly roasted
½ tsp [1.25 ml] ground chili pepper
½ cup [125 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the stems for 45 seconds, then add the florets and boil for 20 seconds more. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Dry well using paper towels.
In the bowl of a food processor, put blanched rapini, garlic, pecans and ground chili pepper. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until everything is evenly coarsely chopped, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl once in a while. With the processor running, pour the olive oil slowly to create an emulsified pesto. You may not need to add all the olive oil – stop when the consistency is right for you. The pesto is at its best when it’s still a bit coarse, not too smooth.
To serve, spread on white fish fillets before baking in the oven or en papillote; mix with fresh tortellini, ravioli or other short pasta; or spread on grilled bread for a simple happy hour snack.
Recipe Credit: Josée Di Stasio, Pasta Et Cetera
White Bean Spread with Rosemary and Toasted Almonds
A simple, fragrant and easy-to-make dip made special by a rosemary and garlic-infused oil.
Makes about 2 cups [500 ml]
Ingredients
¼ cup [60 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp [5 ml] chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
15 oz [425 g] can white beans, rinsed and drained (1 can)
¾ cup [180 ml] sliced almonds, toasted
Fine-grain sea salt
½ lemon, zest and juice
¼ to ¾ cup [60 to 180 ml] hot water
To serve
Pita chips
Method
In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, rosemary and garlic. Over medium-low heat, slowly warm the mixture until the oil just barely starts to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Pour the oil through a strainer and discard the garlic and rosemary bits.
In a food processor, combine the beans, two-thirds of the almonds, a scant ½ tsp [2.5 ml] salt, the lemon juice, and two-thirds of the rosemary oil. Pulse a couple of times to bring the ingredients together. Add the water ¼ cup at a time, pulsing all the while, until the mixture is the consistency of thick frosting. You might not need all the water; it really depends on how starchy your beans are and how thick you’d like the spread to be. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or salt, if needed.
Scoop the spread into a serving dish and make a few indentations in the top. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining almonds and drizzle with the remaining rosemary oil. Serve with pita chips.
Recipe Credit: Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Every Day
Lemony Green Olive & Almond Tapenade
A simple and quick spread with a lemon twist that gives the traditional recipe a little quick.
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients
1 cup [250 ml] large green olives, pitted
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup [60 ml] slivered almonds, toasted
1 tbsp [15 ml] capers
½ lemon, zest and juice
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet
1/3 cup [80 ml] best quality extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
Put olives, parsley, almonds, capers, lemon zest and juice, and anchovy fillet in container or a mini food processor. Pulse multiple times, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture looks coarsely but evenly chopped. Add half the olive oil and process for about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl once. Add the rest of the olive oil and process again for 30 seconds. Taste, season with salt and pepper to taste (you shouldn’t need to add much salt) and incorporate by mixing vigorously with a spoon.
If you like your tapenade quite coarse, it’s now ready to serve. If you want it creamier, keep on processing for a minute more, adding 1 tablespoon [15 ml] water if needed to loosen the mixture a bit.
Serve with toasted pita chips, on crostini, or with pasta.
Recipe Credit: Marie Asselin
Easy One-Step Hummus
Why buy hummus at the store when it’s so easy to make at home?
Makes about 3.5 cups (875 ml).
Ingredients
For the hummus
1 19-oz [560 ml] can organic chickpeas
1/3 cup [83 ml] tahini (sesame paste)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
½ tsp [2.5 ml] sea salt
½ tsp [2.5 ml] ground cumin
½ tsp [2.5 ml] ground white (or black) pepper
2 tbsp [30 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp [30 ml] water (plus more to taste)
Juice from 2 lemons
To serve
More olive oil
Roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Chopped black olives
Black pepper
Fleur de sel or sea salt
Pita chips, sliced veggies
Method
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Combine all hummus ingredients (chickpeas through lemon juice) in a food processor. Process for at least 2 minutes (preferably more, it takes a while to become really creamy), stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. If you like your hummus lighter and creamier, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Serve as a dip, garnished with chopped black olives, flat-leaf parsley, black pepper, fleur de sel and extra-virgin olive oil, or spread in your favorite sandwich.
Recipe Credit: Marie Asselin
