Delicious Dip – Easy to Whirl Up a Batch

Lidia Bastianich’s cooking shows have been an anchor of PBS TV. It’s surprising how simple it is to make her big bowl of dip. Our cooking club tested this recipe and found it delicious served with vegetable crudités and some toasted pita bread. This recipe was our best-of-show!

After testing the original method of boiling the carrots we decided that if you want to preserve more of the nutrients, steam the ingredients in Step 1 instead of boiling until the carrots are tender. Use the steaming water in the recipe to harness all the goodness.

• carrots, 1 lb., scrubbed and cut into equal chunks
• garlic, 4 cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
• bay leaves, 2
• chickpeas, cooked, 2 cans [about 3 cups]
• lemon, 1, zested then juiced
• salt, 1-1/2 tsp.
• cayenne or chili flakes, 1/8 tsp.
• olive oil, 1/2 to 3/4 cups

INSTRUCTIONS to Steam [see recipe link if you want to boil]

1. Prep ingredients; steam the carrots, garlic, and bay leaves until carrot is fork tender; 7-10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
2. In a food processor combine first seven ingredients plus the steaming water and while puréeing, drizzle in the olive oil. Continue puréeing until smooth. For a silky hummus-like consistency you can purée for 5 to 7 additional minutes. We only needed a couple minutes to yield a creamy dip.

GARNISH: Serve with a dusting of smoked paprika or sweet paprika and a few chickpeas. Drizzle on a little olive oil.