DKchallenge - Walnut butter and a white bean dip.

Hi everyone,

Its been a long time since I blogged. I haven't been feeling my usual self, my health hasn't been that fantastic to experiment a whole bunch. However, I have finished my Daring Kitchen challenge of the month - nut butters. Unlike my previous challenges I didn't go all the way and try something insanely new and outrageous. I chose the simplest looking recipe to make things easier for me. So... I chose to make walnut butter and recipe was adapted from Cooking Light, August 2007

Walnut White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Sage

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (120 ml) walnuts
• 1 (15.8 oz/448g) can Cannellini, or while kidney beans (drained rinsed)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh sage, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) black pepper salt to taste

Directions:
Make walnut butter by grinding ½ cup (120 ml) walnuts in food processor for about a minute until it forms a nut butter or paste.  Add beans, garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, sage, lemon zest (if using), and black pepper to the walnut butter in the food processor. Process the mixture to a smooth consistency. Taste and add salt as desired. Garnish dip with chopped walnuts and/or chopped fresh rosemary or sage, if desired. Serve with pitas, veggies or whatever you like.

 

I followed this recipe exactly and I found it to be a lovely take on hummus. In a way, this is easier as white cannelini beans have a tendency to be softer than garbanzo/chickpeas (after being soaked) and this makes it easier to grind and become the lovely smooth texture that you want. I also added some lovely garlic olive oil that my friend had gifted me which proved to be a fantastic addition.