What is The Vegan(ish) Experiment?

Our family (me, my husband D, and our four-year-old Molly) started 2009 with a mostly-vegan, macrobiotic-inspired diet (although I have to admit, the strict macro rules have pretty much gone out the window). I have seen a marked improvement in my chronic migraines, and I'm enjoying proving that we can make amazing, mouth-watering, memorable food without animal products. For a more in-depth intro, click here.

I stopped updating this blog quite awhile back, when life got in the way. I'm still keeping a mostly vegan kitchen, though, and loving it. Have fun browsing my recipes!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Day 42: White Bean & Caper Dip with Rosemary-Garlic Pita Chips

I'm not sick of hummus yet, but was ready for a change. So this week I made a big batch of white beans (soaked overnight this time - gotta love foresight) and experimented. The resulting dip looked like mashed potatoes. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it didn't taste like them, which I think is for the best. The dip isn't incredibly strong in flavor, but is complex and mouth-watering. Molly even liked it, which surprised me because of the caper flavor. And the chips ... well, who can say no to pita chips?

White Bean & Caper Dip with Rosemary-Garlic Pita Chips
Here are the recipes:

White Bean & Caper Dip or Spread
Ingredients:
about 2.5 cups of white beans (3/4 cup dried beans)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. capers, drained
1/4 c. olive oil
2-3 T. lemon juice
salt to taste
water

Directions:
  1. Soak and cook beans according to package instructions (or use the quick-soak method, or just use 2 cans of beans - I used Goya Small White Beans and added a strip of kombu, removed at the end).
  2. Use a food processor or hand blender to thoroughly mix all ingredients.
  3. Salt to taste
  4. I made this thick, because we use it as a sandwich spread as well as a dip. But you can add water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, if you want it creamier and thinner.
Rosemary-Garlic Pita Chips
Ingredients:
6 small, or 4 large, whole-wheat pitas
2 T. olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. dried rosemary
1/4 t. salt

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F (175 ° C).
  2. Cut pitas into eighths.
  3. Mix other ingredients in a large zip-top bag.
  4. Add pita to the bag and shake until well-coated.
  5. Place chips on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake until crispy, turning once, about 15-20 minutes.

3 comments:

  1. interesting twist to hummus, but the real reason for the comment:

    http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/02/in-the-kitchen-with-nikko-moy.html

    haven't tried it, but it looks beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for the link, Virginia! That is definitely one of the most beautiful stews I've seen. I love making stews, but mine usually taste MUCH better than they look. The purple potatoes really make a difference.

    ReplyDelete

I love it when people come back and tell me how the recipes turned out - please consider doing so! Thanks!

 

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