Monday, April 10, 2006

A dip for lunch
Hello! I made a yummy dinner last night but it wasn't overly exciting - just roast veggies with balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic, rosemary and borlotti beans. However, it did introduce me to two delicious new ingredients - the vinegar and beans. I have always secretly been of the opinion that pretty much all beans taste the same but wow was I wrong. I actually bought the borlottis because they look so pretty on the can (not in real life!) and cos they were only 69cents a can, but they turned out to have a really unique, yummy flavour. And I loved the balsamic vinegar, although I don't think I could have too much of it. SO for my lunch today I created a dip/spread which used both of these ingredients. I am getting more and more confident at just making things up as I go and this was a huge success - my dad really liked it and he normally hates beans! (Not to mention anything new!) I was totally approximating, so this is just a rough guide. You could probably substitute other beans but as I've said, the borlottis have a very unique flavour.

Ingredients:
-2 or 3 tbsp tinned borlotti beans
-about 2 tsp finely chopped brown onion
-about 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
-1/2 to 1 tsp lemon juice
-sprinkle of ground sage
-a couple of pinches of dried rosemary and thyme
-3/4 tsp savoury yeast flakes (nutritional yeast)
-1/2 tsp veggie stock powder
-flax seeds and poppyseeds for decoration

Instructions:
Heat a little bit of water in a frying pan and fry the onions on medium heat until they are browned. While they are frying, rinse the beans and mash them up to a smoothe-ish paste (skins will make it a bit lumpy) with a fork. Mix in the yeast and veggie stock then add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency, tasting as you go. When the onions are cooked add them and the herbs and stir through. Put in a bowl and top with a pinch of poppyseeds and flax seeds, or some fresh herbs if you have them on hand. Enjoy!

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